


Guarding the Shadows

by JayhawkWrites



Series: In Every Lifetime [8]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bathing/Washing, Blood Drinking, Canonical Character Death, Carver Blaine, Character Death, Composer Blaine, Dildos, Doctor Blaine, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Masturbation, Musician Blaine, Reincarnation, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:02:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 83,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayhawkWrites/pseuds/JayhawkWrites
Summary: Too distracted by their love for each other to make their own choices, Kurt and Blaine are thrust into an adventure they know almost nothing about. Born in mid-1600 London, they must overcome many obstacles including their financial barriers and their desire to find true love. However, there's a hidden piece of the puzzle they know nothing about: vampires.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson & Elliott "Starchild" Gilbert, Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Elliott "Starchild" Gilbert/Sebastian Smythe, Quinn Fabray/OMC, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Series: In Every Lifetime [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591516
Comments: 90
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Klaineship](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klaineship/gifts).



> A/N: Here we go...off on another adventure. This story is being gifted to [Klaineship](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Klaineship) as it was her reblog on Tumblr that prompted it.
> 
> First, I want to say thank you to my wonderful beta/friend/cheerleader [TeddysHoney](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TeddysHoney) for all of her help thus far and in the future with this story. There is a lot of it out of my comfort zone, and she has cheered me on every step of the way.
> 
> I wanted to say a few things before you start reading this story. There will likely be numerous historical inaccuracies, but this is fiction...so really I can do what I want. The first several chapters are set in 1650s London. I went back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to try and have their speech match what it would have been back then, and ultimately decided against it. For the events and even the song, I tried to stay as close to accurate as possible, but again, this is a work of fiction, and I took some liberties with the events.
> 
> Secondly, this is a vampire story. If this is not your cup of tea, please don't read. My vampires are a mix of Underworld, Twilight, and my own imaginings. I own none of the ideas I took from those shows/worlds, nor do I own anything Glee related.
> 
> Thirdly, this is a soulmate story. Kurt and Blaine will ALWAYS have a happy ending and end up back in the Unknown together when the story concludes.
> 
> Lastly, I hope you enjoy this adventure.

When Blaine and Kurt came to, they were back in The Unknown. It was always a bit of a weird transition for them, and it sometimes took them several moments to regain their senses. Every time they arrived, though, they remembered every adventure they'd had before and were eager to choose the next one. As they stood next to one another, hands clasped as always, they looked into each other's eyes.

"What just happened?" Kurt asked, breathless. "We were young and in love, and now, we're here."

"Your book," Blaine answered, staring at Kurt's mouth. "We were in your book, and then…"

Without another word, they leapt at one another, mouths colliding in a spectacular kiss, a kiss full of passion, love, and lust. They couldn't stop. They felt an insatiable need to have their mouths on one another.

The man behind the podium let their display go on for several minutes; to the boys, it could have been hours for all they cared. As long as their lips were attached to each other, they were happy.

"You know..." the man said, hoping his words could penetrate the cloud of lust that was surrounding his two favorite people. He had been doing this job since the beginning of time. He'd seen many couples come through The Unknown in his time. There were very few other people in history who had the honor of eternal soulmates bestowed upon them. But, of all of them, he liked Kurt and Blaine the best. They chose the best adventures to go on, and he hoped that they would like his next suggestion. "There's a place you can go where the soulbond is solidified when you kiss each other."

That got the boys' attention, and they broke apart for a moment. When they looked into each other's eyes, they silently agreed that they didn't even care where or when it was as long as they could feel like this, and possibly more, when they kissed. "That sounds amazing," Kurt said breathlessly, his eyes transfixed on Blaine's lips.

"Let's do it," Blaine agreed and went back to kissing his love.

"This one won't be easy," the man said. "It will be worth it, though. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Blaine panted, not taking his mouth from Kurt's. "Please, send us there."

"Enjoy your time in London," the man said and sent them on their way.

* * *

One night in 1650 on opposite ends of London, two mothers, Elizabeth and Marie, told their sons, Kurt and Blaine, a story their older ones had heard numerous times before. Whenever a strange death occurred, the story would be shared more often, especially by those who were suspicious of whoever or whatever had caused the mysterious death. The first and only time these boys heard this story was on that particular night.

" _The cold ones among us  
Have been here so long.  
With an appetite for blood,  
They feel they belong._

_The cold ones will suffer  
From many a fate:  
Garlic or holy water  
The sun or a stake._

_Always be wary  
Keep watch for a sign  
Cast your eyes down  
Lest they think you divine._

_My warning to you:  
Stay in at night.  
That's when they feed;  
They may give you a fright."_

"There are creatures out there we don't understand," the mothers told their sons. "The only thing we know is that they mean us great harm. This is why you must never go out at night; that is when they will find you and take you from us."

"Yes, Mother," the boys answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The poem is an original by myself and TeddysHoney.


	2. Blaine Anderson

Blaine Anderson hated his life. Well, that's not entirely true. He hated that it felt like his family was always scrounging for food and slaving away to keep the roof over their head patched. He hated that so often, he went to bed too cold or too hot. He hated that, while he wasn't starving, he was never full, either.

Blaine's family was very poor, though not as poor as others they knew. His clothes were never clean, and they didn't fit him properly. Blaine's father, whose job had been to lift heavy crates and barrels, had been injured in a work accident at the London dock when Blaine was very young. Since the accident, their family was left to basically fend for themselves. His father had provided for them as best he could by himself until Blaine's older brother, Cooper, could help when he was of age. Both Cooper and Bill did grunt work here and there, jobs which paid next to nothing. Blaine's mother, Marie, worked whenever she could find mending jobs. When she wasn't working, she was making sure what the family did have was kept as nice as possible.

Marie spent most of her days teaching Blaine what she knew. She taught him the very basics of how to read and write, knowing that her own education was limited. Marie knew that there was something special about her youngest son, and she wanted to instill what she could in him to help him go as far in life as he could. She wanted him to know that with hard work and a bit of luck, he could do and be anything he wanted. She also sang every chance she got. Marie had a beautiful voice, and if she had been born to a different family, Blaine was certain she could have gone far with her talent.

This positivity from his mother was one of the things Blaine looked forward to every day. He enjoyed his lessons with his mother and loved the fairytales she told of princes, dragons, and love. His favorite story that his mother told him, which was also where his namesake came from, was one called _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_. It was a beautiful story of loss, war, and love. Blaine always sympathized with the character he was named after and hoped beyond hope that someday, he would also be able to find love. He also loved that the story did not shun the love between two men. In his eyes, the world was a tough place to live, and if two people could find love, they should be able to love each other.

When Blaine was eight-years-old, tragedy struck his family. Well, it was common enough at the time, but to Blaine, it was world-changing. Marie had begun sniffling one day, and her sniffles progressed into coughing, shortness of breath, and a fever that wouldn't subside. Blaine's father and brother had left very early that morning for their job. He heard his father talking to Marie, asking her if he should fetch a doctor or stay home.

She rasped to him, "We can't afford either. You must go. I'll be alright," and then proceeded to have a coughing fit.

Blaine must have fallen back asleep after this exchange. When the sun was up and peaking through the windows, Blaine woke again. At the time, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary through his sleep-addled brain. It wasn't until he was fully awake that he realized the sun was up. He hadn't slept this late in a very long time. He sat up and crossed the small room to wake his mother, but she wouldn't wake up. Blaine laid down beside her and sobbed until his father and brother came home that night.

In 1655, Blaine was nine years old, and while he was old enough to work, he had no skills. He had tried to get a job on his own one day after his dad and brother left for their own jobs, but the only person who was willing to give him a chance nearly killed him with 'corrections' for his mistakes. When he finally got home that evening--it had taken him much longer due to the fact that he was so slow-moving--Blaine explained to his family what had happened.

"I wanted to help out like you and Cooper," Blaine explained as his brother tended to his back. "I was not strong enough to lift what Mr. Crowley asked me to, and he whipped me for wasting his time. Thankfully, his son stopped him before he got too many more lashes in. I'm not sure I would have made it home otherwise."

"Do not do that again," Bill stated firmly. While he did not have the time or will at the end of the day to teach his son how to make his own living, he didn't want to see him beat to death. He also knew that if anything happened to Blaine, his wife would surely come back to haunt him.

After this incident, Blaine found other ways of helping his family. He soon realized it was easier on his body and more lucrative for his family to scavenge for the things they needed and steal when absolutely necessary.

The only bright and happy thing in his life was his friend, Elliot.

Elliot was poor like him, though Elliot was much more street-savvy, having been taught that particular skill from his own father. They had met sometime after Blaine's mom's funeral and had been almost inseparable ever since.

_Blaine was walking aimlessly through the streets one spring morning. His father and brother were already gone by the time he awoke. There was no food in the house, and Blaine was starving. He decided that he would see if there was any work to be found or any food that had been discarded that would be fit to eat._

_While he was looking through some bins behind a shop, a boy around his age approached him. "If you're hungry, I could take you to where there are better scraps," the boy said._

_"Why would you share your secrets with me?" Blaine asked, unsure if this boy was being truthful or not. He got the sense that he was genuine, but he could never be too sure._

_"You look like a nice enough fellow," the boy said, "and friends are hard to come by these days. True friends, at least, that won't stab you in the back the first chance they get."_

_"I've never had a friend besides my mother before," Blaine hesitantly told him. Thinking of his mother made him sad, so he pushed the thought away and held out his hand. "My name is Blaine, and I would very much like to be your friend."_

_"I'm Elliot," the other boy replied. "Let's get you some food."_

The thing that Blaine liked best about Elliot was his rebellious nature. Blaine was too scared of getting his hind end smacked with a birch twig to ever think of doing anything out of line on his own. With Elliot, though, getting into possible trouble seemed like an adventure.

The first time they did anything rebellious was the day they met.

_"This is going to be a lot easier with two of us," Elliot stated as they walked. "What I'm going to need you to do is sneak the food while I'm talking to the stall owner. Not a lot, just enough for the two of us. We don't want to be wasteful or raise suspicion."_

_"You want me to steal?" Blaine asked. He wasn't sure he was up to it._

_"Yes, I do," Elliot said. "I know how to talk to people and keep their attention. You don't. It makes more sense if you do the taking, and I do the talking."_

_"But, if we get caught, won't we be punished?" Blaine asked. He was terrified of any possible punishment they could dole out. One whipping was enough for him; he never wanted to live through that kind of pain again._

_"There's always a risk of that," Elliot said. He wasn't going to sugarcoat the severity of what they were going to do, but he also knew from experience that he could talk his way out of almost any situation. "I've been at this for a while," Elliot explained. "I've never been caught yet, and that's when I was doing it by myself. Just trust yourself."_

_Blaine almost decided not to go through with it. That is, until his stomach growled so loudly that both boys heard it. "Okay. Let's do this."_

_After their successful job, the boys worked on several plans to get the things they needed when they needed them. They became a well-oiled machine, almost able to anticipate the other's movements without having to verbally communicate it._

When Blaine was 11 years old, during one of their nights of scavenging by the ritzy London playhouses for scraps of cloth to mend their clothes, they were attacked by a feral dog. Blaine's leg got bitten pretty badly before Elliot was able to chase the dog off with a large stick.

"We need to get you to Dr. Edwards," Elliot said at seeing all of the blood.

"There's no way I can pay him," Blaine grimaced, knowing he would surely die from his wounds. The bite was deep, and he knew there was no way he could keep it clean.

"He won't charge, and he takes care of my ailments when they're bad enough," Elliot answered.

Elliot helped his friend hobble to the doctor's home. Blaine was basically in shock from the pain and how deep the bite was. Elliot couldn't quite see bone, but he knew it wasn't far off. Blaine was lost in his inner turmoil and hadn't really cried other than a few stray tears. Elliot wondered what was going through his friend's mind to make him so unresponsive.

 _There's nothing the doctor is going to be able to do for me_ , Blaine thought. _This is surely when I die, and I will finally be able to see Mother again. I don't want to die, though. What will happen to my father and brother? They won't miss me, I'm sure. They might not even notice I've gone missing for several days at least. Elliot...what will happen to my friend? I'm basically his only family. I have to be brave. I have to survive._ With a determined look in his eye, Blaine breathed deeply to stave off the pain and did his best to assist his friend in their journey toward the doctor's house.

Since it would be bad for business to give away free medical attention, very few people knew about Dr. Edwards' home office. Elliot, one of the privileged few, knocked the secret knock on the basement door and waited for the doctor to open it.

_"I am so hungry, Elliot," Blaine said one day. It had been several days since he had had more than just enough to get him by, and he was getting ready for another growth spurt._

_"I have an idea," Elliot answered and led his friend toward a busy street. He produced two rags and a little vial of some liquid. "Today, we're going to shine shoes. It's not the best job in the world, and there are lots of shoe-shines around. But, maybe we'll be lucky, and someone will pick us over them."_

_"I've never shined a shoe before," Blaine whispered. "It doesn't look hard, though."_

_"It's not," Elliot answered then started his speech to get them a couple of customers. They were only out there for around five minutes when an average-sized man with light brown hair approached them. He looked to be very well off if his clothes were any indication, and the boys both hoped that he would stop._

_"Having any luck today, boys?" the man asked in a kind tone._

_"Not yet, sir," Elliot answered. The boy could be crude at times, but he knew how to talk to all manner of people._

_"I've got a bit of time," the man said. "If you're good, I'll be a daily customer."_

_Both boy's eyes bulged out of their heads at the prospect of a steady daily income. While it wasn't much on its own, the daily contribution that Dr. Edwards made to both of their pockets was enough to sustain them and keep them both alive for many years to come._

"Elliot," Dr. Edwards greeted the boys, "what seems to be the trouble?"

"Blaine was attacked by a dog," Elliot said. "Could you take a look at his leg and make sure he won't lose it?"

"Blaine," the man said to the frightened-looking boy. "Please come in and allow me to look at your leg."

Blaine let Dr. Edwards and Elliot basically carry him into the home and set him on an examination table. The doctor talked softly to Blaine while he was examining his leg, doing his best to keep him as calm as possible. There was one particularly large gash in his leg that looked like it would require stitches.

"Blaine," the doctor stated. "I am going to have to sew up this wound. I can give you a little bit of something for the pain, but it's still going to hurt. Do you think you can stay still, or do you think I should strap you down?"

"I can be still, sir," Blaine said.

Elliot knew that a song would also help calm his friend as the doctor worked. Blaine had told him about the songs his mother used to sing to him when he was sad or scared when they would reminisce about happier times. He started singing a familiar tune, and Blaine calmed instantly, gazing at his friend in appreciation.

_"Arise, ye subterranean Winds,_   
_More to distract their guilty minds;_   
_And all ye filthy damps and vapours rise,_   
_Which use t'infect the earth, and trouble the skies._   
_Rise you who from devouring plagues have birth,_   
_You that i'th'vast and hollow womb of earth"_

Elliot grasped Blaine's hand as Dr. Edwards put in the first stitch. He knew from past experience that it hurt something fierce, and Blaine would appreciate the gesture. He wanted to be able to give his friend as much comfort as he could. At one point, Blaine tried to look down to see what the doctor was doing. Elliot stepped closer to him and kept Blaine's focus on him instead of what the doctor was doing.

When Elliot finished the whole song, he started it again. He had glanced at the work the doctor was doing and saw that he was only about halfway finished. Elliot started the song over, encouraging Blaine to join him this time. Before the doctor had finished fixing up his leg, Blaine was singing along in perfect pitch with his friend.

_"All but the fixed and solid centre shake:_   
_Come drive these wretches to that part o'th'isle_   
_Where nature never yet did smile;_   
_Cause fogs and storms, whirlwinds and earthquakes there,_   
_There let 'em howl, and languish in despair:_   
_Rise and obey the powerful Prince o'th'Air"_

The doctor was impressed with both of the boys' voices, never having heard them sing before, and he was surprised by Blaine's ability to be still while he performed his task. _I might just have to have them sing for me when they do their daily shoe-shine from now on and give them a little bit extra in payment_ , the doctor thought. Surely that would gain them even more business than they already have. Over the past couple of years, the doctor had told others about how excellent a job these two boys did, and they now had a fairly steady stream of customers. It wasn't enough to sustain a decent lifestyle, and none were daily customers like the doctor was, but every little bit helped.

Before Dr. Edwards put the last couple of stitches in, while the boys were focusing on each other and finishing their song, he rubbed something in the wound that would help it heal quicker and make it less prone to infection. Neither boy noticed.

"All finished, Blaine," the doctor stated, patting him lightly on the hip. "Your leg should heal up nicely, and if you are diligent in keeping it clean with the supplies I am going to send with you, it should heal better than new in no time at all."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Edwards," Blaine said as he shook the doctor's hand. "I wish I could pay you for your kindness."

"How about a trade?" the doctor said with a grin. "You and Elliot sing for me each morning while you're shining my shoes, and your debt will be paid."

Blaine's eyes got wide as saucers. He was going to essentially be getting paid to sing and do a job he actually liked. It was like a dream come true. Nodding his head emphatically, he said, "Yes. I...we can do that."

"As many times as you've saved my ass," Elliot said, "it would be my pleasure."

So from that day forward, Blaine and Elliot sang for their customers. Blaine did most of the singing until his leg healed, which was much faster than he thought it would. He was expecting to be out of work for at least a couple of weeks, but it healed in half the time. Blaine didn't really think too much about it, other than noting that the salve that the doctor had given him must have been magical to work that quickly. He knew, logically, that it wasn't magic and figured that the wound hadn't been as bad as he had originally thought; that's why it had healed so quickly. Their customers loved the added song to their shoe-shines and began paying them a little more than they usually would. Not much, but some.

Both Elliot and Blaine discussed saving up the extra they were earning for something. They weren't quite sure what that something was yet, but they could feel that something big was out there, just waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The song used in this chapter is Arise, Ye Subterranean Winds by Pietro Reggio (1632 - 1685).


	3. Kurt Hummel

Kurt Hummel loved his life. Well, that's not entirely true. Kurt loved many parts of his life, but not necessarily every part of it. Sometimes, he felt that all of the pomp and circumstance was stifling. Yet, there were other times he was thankful for his lot in life, especially when he caught glimpses of how the poor lived.

Kurt was born into a well-to-do family. His father, a well-bred gentleman, had made some very good investments over the past few years. His mother was the daughter of a gentleman as well and had a significant dowry when she wed his father. To their union were born three children: Elijah, Beatrice, and Kurt.

Elijah was set to follow in his father's footsteps and take over the business when it was time. He was a little on the arrogant side and treated those below him poorly, though not cruelly. Others, his sister especially, viewed Elijah as stuck-up and harsh. And while, yes, he was those things, he was also compassionate and fierce about those he loved dearly. The only one whom he ever really showed this compassion to, though, was his brother. Elijah always felt like he needed to protect Kurt from the less desirable events of their day-to-day lives. He didn't want his brother's kind and free spirit to be tainted by the unsavory realities of life: the punishing of their servants and their interactions with the poor. He knew that his brother would likely be different, and he vowed on the day he figured this piece of information out that he would help Kurt in any way that he could.

Beatrice felt as though she was often looked over and forgotten about. Being the only girl, she was made to believe that her only lot in life was to marry well. Nobody really knew about the ambitions she had or cared about what she wanted. Beatrice was an excellent painter and wished to spend her day's painting and studying landscapes. This was not a respectable profession for a lady, though, and her mother would hear nothing of it when she tried to express her desires. She only seemed to care about how her daughter could uphold the family name. The only person Beatrice was never standoffish to was Kurt. Her brother saw things in her that nobody else in her family seemed to see. And, for that fact alone, she would help him with anything.

The youngest in the family was Kurt. He was a free spirit and knew that there wasn't a whole lot of responsibility laid at his feet. Sure, he had to keep up appearances and act in certain ways in certain situations, but outside of that, no one expected him to do anything remarkable, not like his brother and sister. He was very intelligent, though he and his siblings knew he wouldn't go into business or any other occupation that would use the lessons he was being taught in school.

Kurt was a dreamer. He dreamt of love and freedom and whimsy. It wasn't something he thought would ever come in his life, but it was a nice dream. When he was younger, one of the servants in his home told him the most wonderful story. He knew his parents wouldn't approve of the story, so it was something that he kept to himself and had even written down once he had the supplies to do so. Kurt hid _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ in a secret place that nobody but his siblings knew about. The ideas that were in the story, that two men could love each other and be together, were fascinating to Kurt. He knew, though, that his family would never allow it.

Kurt knew his parents loved him beyond measure. It wasn't that they showed their love in words; however, they let him pursue the things he wanted to do and didn't mind if they weren't things that were "normal" for a boy his age. Kurt loved to sing, act, and play the piano. He loved to write and draw. Basically, he loved to do anything creative. He knew his mother hated this about him and just wished he would act more like his brother.

If there was one thing Kurt never wished he would hear again it was, "Why can't you be more like Elijah? Elijah does what's expected of him. Elijah is courting Rebecca Lynch. Don't they make a handsome couple? You should ask Elijah to help you meet some nice young ladies." Kurt was only nine, and his mother was already planning to marry him off.

His father, on the other hand, never pushed for this. Kurt never asked his father about his feelings and desires for him, though. Burt made sure Kurt knew the things he needed to know, but never pushed him in any particular direction. He quite enjoyed the artistic side of his youngest child. Besides, he had Elijah and Beatrice to carry on his name; the activities of his youngest son were not nearly as important.

Kurt struggled some in school because he would often daydream about what he wanted to create when he got home that evening. Once he had his first punishment at school, though, he quickly corrected the behavior. The birch switch did not feel good upon his delicate backside.

There were two things about his life that he didn't like. The main thing was that he knew he would never be able to love who he wanted. He had realized at his young age that he did not think about girls the same way that other boys his age seemed to. He liked the way the other boys looked, hard and lean, and the way they smelled at the end of a hot day.

His parents put so much emphasis on Elijah and Rebecca's relationship that Kurt knew this was what he was supposed to want. However, when he heard the boys at school talking about who their parents thought would be possible potential matches for them, all Kurt could think was that some of the boys in his class seemed like they would be a good match for him. Sure, girls were beautiful, but he did not want to spend all of his time with them. And, he knew he would never want to kiss one.

Though Kurt struggled on through school, he was able to learn the essentials and passed his marks adequately enough to satisfy his parents. In the evenings, after their evening meal, Kurt would often retreat to his room to practice his acting. During the nights he didn't, he would grace his family with his piano playing and singing. Elijah would often join him, as would Beatrice. Since his father never said anything negative about it, his mother kept quiet.

The second thing about his life that he didn't like was that his family would never support his aspirations. Kurt longed to be in the theater. He desperately wanted to be a part of the stories and music portrayed there, and only hoped that if he ever got there, he would be accepted, regardless of his financial background.

When Kurt turned 15, his mother began to really harp on him about courting one of the many eligible maidens in town. She even offered to send him to Paris, too, if he wanted. She made him think that she wanted to send him there to refine his piano skills, but when she mentioned him meeting the Madison's and their very beautiful daughter while he was there, he told her he would think about it, knowing he had no intention of ever going, no matter how enticing the offer to practice his craft seemed. He began to feel more and more pressure from her, especially after his brother had married and his sister was engaged to be married later that year. When he expressed this to his brother one day after a ride in the countryside, Elijah gave him some sound advice.

"Talk to Father about this," Elijah suggested. "With my having one son already and another child on the way, Father cannot expect you to take over the estate, so, therefore, you should not be required to marry at all."

"I know all of that, Eli," Kurt said.

Elijah smiled at the secret nickname his brother called him only when they were alone.

"I guess I am just fearful of what could happen if he does try to force me. You know as well as I that I will never love a woman. I may never be able to outwardly love anyone at all, but it would go against every grain of my soul to marry a woman."

"I may not understand your preferences," Elijah said, "but I will stand behind you no matter what and will speak with Father if he does try to force this on you. If worst comes to worst, I will find a way to help you escape."

"You really are the best brother and friend ever," Kurt said. "Shall we let Bea in on our discussion?"

"I think we should," Elijah replied. "You know you are wrapped around her delicate finger, and she would like nothing more than to help you defy Mother."

The boys laughed together at this and continued to talk as they rode back into town and their luxurious home.

That night, Kurt asked for an audience with his father after their evening meal, and he hoped that he wasn't making a mistake with what he was about to do. "Father," Kurt said as he entered his father's study after their evening meal. "May I speak with you about a matter?"

Burt did not like to see his children scared of him. No matter what they did or wanted, he always wanted them to feel like they could talk to him. "Of course, son. Come, join me and sit. Close the door behind you if you wish."

Kurt fidgeted some. He wasn't quite sure how to bring up what he wanted to say and didn't know if just being direct would be better than feeling his father out. In the end, he chose the latter. "During classes, Master has spoken at length about marriage. Do you and Mother expect this from me?"

Burt had often wondered if this topic would come up at some point in time. He had always sensed that his son was different, and while he may not understand it, it didn't make him love him any less. "Your mother and I wish only for your happiness. If you wish to take a wife, we shall be pleased. If you wish to remain but a distinguished bachelor, well, 'tis not for us to decide."

Kurt took a deep breath. He had been planning for the worst and hoping for the best when he decided to talk to his father. "You are quite kind, Father. Thank you. I shall take my leave. Good night."

"Sleep well, son," Burt answered and went back to checking his ledger.

Before Kurt went to bed, he stepped out the back door for a moment of fresh air. He needed to clear his head, and he knew that the tears that were threatening to fall would cause alarm with his mother. Kurt was thankful that he would not have to live in a loveless marriage. He knew he may never be able to love openly, but at least he wouldn't have to lie to his spouse for he would never have one.


	4. The Meeting

One night, not long after Blaine turned 15 years old, he and Elliot were strolling along near the rich part of town, knowing that most of the families would be in their homes just finishing up their evening meals. They were pushing their limits by coming this far outside their comfort zone, but they were so incredibly hungry today that they didn't really care. It had been a slow day, and they hadn't made enough money to eat as well as they were accustomed to. While they were still very poor, they were used to eating at least a couple of small meals per day, so when they could only afford one, they scavenged for food. When they approached an alley they had never been down for good reason, they heard a whimper.

"Blaine," Elliot hissed. "We mustn't go near there. The Hummels live here, and they'll tan our hides if they catch us!"

This startled Blaine some because his friend was always up to causing a little trouble. _What must these people be like that Elliot is scared of them?_

Just as he was ready to turn around and heed his friend's advice, he heard the whimper again, this time louder. Blaine whipped around and rushed down the alley toward the sound. As he approached, he saw a figure curled up against the house. The figure, a boy if his clothing were any indication, came from a wealthy family. He wore a crisp, white, linen shirt with a golden doublet, knee-length golden breeches, white stockings, and black boots.

"Are you hurt?" Blaine asked softly, not wanting to frighten the person.

Startled, the boy looked up and made eye contact with Blaine. The crying boy could tell that the other boy was not from this part of town, and he had heard from the servants that sometimes, the poorer inhabitants of the city would come to scavenge for food. He had never heard a tale of one of them becoming violent, but a person could never be too careful. "Please, don't harm me," the boy said in the most angelic voice Blaine had ever heard.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Blaine said. "My name is Blaine and this is Elliot. We came because it sounded like you were hurt." Blaine gestured toward his friend who had followed him into the darkness, concern etched in his features.

"I'm not hurt," Kurt said, surprised by the kindness of this very rough-looking boy. He was dirty, a little on the thin side of healthy, and his clothes were in tatters. His curly hair was in ringlets around his face, and he looked as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Feeling somehow like he could trust this boy, Kurt continued. "I'm beyond happy."

"Then, why are you crying?" Blaine asked. He was very confused at this point.

"Father has answered my prayers," Kurt said, unsure why he was telling his intimate affairs to a stranger. There was something about this boy, though, that he trusted that he just couldn't put his finger on. It was almost like there was something in his eyes, something familiar almost, though he was certain he had never met him before.

Blaine gave Kurt a blinding smile. "I'm glad, whatever it was, that it is good, and you are happy. You're far too pretty to cry," Blaine said before he'd realized what was coming out of his mouth. He couldn't believe his slip-up. However, the other boy didn't look upset; he looked more...surprised.

"Blaine, we need to go," Elliot whispered. He knew that if the wrong person had heard his friend say that, he would be in so much trouble.

"Blaine," the soft voice of the other boy whispered.

Blaine took a couple of steps closer, ignoring his friend who was moving toward the end of the alley. "Yes?"

"Could I...would you come back tomorrow and talk with me?" Kurt couldn't believe what he was saying. He didn't know this boy, but he just knew he needed to find out more about him.

"Tell me when, and I shall be here," Blaine answered without hesitation.

"My family will not miss me if we meet after the moon has come out," Kurt said, mentally running through his evening routine, hoping that his siblings would help to cover for him if he needed it.

"I shall see you tomorrow," Blaine said. Then, at the insistent calling from his friend, he turned around and left. It wasn't until he was home that night that he realized he hadn't gotten the other boy's name.

The next morning progressed like any other morning. Blaine woke up and made himself a small portion of food, mainly because that was all he had. Then, he cleaned himself with what little soap he had available. His father and brother had already left for the day, and he knew that it would be unlikely that he would see either of them. He almost never saw them anymore. They were gone before he awoke and were asleep before he got home. He wondered, as he often did, if they would even notice if he didn't come home.

Blaine met up with Elliot, and they walked together to their shoe-shining spot, exchanging playful banter like they did every morning. They didn't discuss the night before, and silently agreed to not speak of it at all.

While Blaine and Elliot were working that day, Blaine sang with more exuberance and feeling than he ever had. It ended up working out well for both of them. Blaine attracted several new customers, and their regular customers gave them a little extra for putting them in such good moods.

Elliot had tried to warn him against meeting the boy in the alley again as they walked home the previous night. He was worried about him. He wanted to try again that day after work, but based on Blaine's reaction from the night before, he knew his friend wouldn't hear any of it.

_"Blaine," Elliot said to his friend. "I'm scared for you. The Hummels...They can take very drastic measures when they feel threatened."_

_"How so?" Blaine asked._

_"Well," Elliot started, "I told you that my parents died when I was younger, right?" At Blaine's nod, he continued. "I've never mentioned my only other living family member, because he's in prison. He might even be dead by now; I'm sure I'll never know."_

_"What happened to him?" Blaine asked. He hated that his friend was essentially alone in the world._

_"He got caught stealing," Elliot stated. "One of the servants in the Hummel household was giving him food one night, and instead of them both getting into trouble, my brother said that he stole it. Benjamin, that's my brother's name, loved the maid that was helping him out, and old lady Hummel caught them. She's a real piece of work. She all but forced her husband to go for the maximum penalty. I watched the whole thing happen in front of me, and that's the last time I saw my brother. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're the only family I have left in this world."_

_"Elliot," Blaine whispered. "You're basically the only family I have, too. And, I promise I'll be careful. I can't explain it, but I just felt drawn to him. Almost like there's an invisible string that's pulling us together. I can feel it in the depths of my soul that nothing bad will happen to me if I'm with him."_

_"Okay," Elliot replied with a sigh. From what he'd seen of the other boy, it seemed like he was sincere in his desire to talk to Blaine. Maybe he'd follow them and keep an eye from afar, just for the first night at least._

Blaine wasn't sure if it was his singing or if it was just a busy day, but their income that day almost doubled a normal day. Dr. Edwards had asked after Blaine's seemingly good mood, and he'd just responded that it was a beautiful day. Why not be happy? Elliot shook his head at the doctor, letting him know that it really wasn't anything worth bothering about.

The boys went on about the rest of their day after they had shined their last shoe of the morning. By that time, they were famished and went to find some food. After they ate, Elliot stored their extra money in his secret hiding place, and the boys spent the day walking around London and dreaming of a future they were fearful they'd never have. While they could hope that someday they'd be able to rise above their current financial predicament, they knew that realistically it was unlikely. Still, it helped them to get through the days to dream.

_"If you could live a different life, where would you want to start over?" Blaine asked his friend one day when they were 13 years old. They had been working when they could and earning enough money to keep them alive for about four years now. Some days, especially days like today, they earned a bit extra, and neither of them needed anything at the moment. So, Blaine was contemplating what they should do with the extra._

_"I've always dreamt of Paris," Elliot answered shyly. "I've heard gentlemen talk about it to each other, about the places they've stayed and the land there. It sounds like it would be the perfect place to start over."_

_"Why don't we, then?" Blaine offered._

_"What do you mean, Blaine?" Elliot asked. "There's no way we could ever afford to go to Paris."_

_"Not now," Blaine answered, an idea forming in his head. "What if we take all of our extra earnings, whenever we get some, and put it away somewhere? I'm not sure where would be secure enough to keep it, but surely we can find somewhere. We can save up, and someday, we'll fulfill our dream. Starting over somewhere sounds wonderful."_

_Blaine trusted Elliot to keep their money safe, never knowing that he actually had asked Dr. Edwards if they could store it at his house. Anywhere else, there was a very high probability that it could get stolen._

Before they parted that evening, Elliot said to Blaine, "Please, be careful. I know I can't stop you from going. Just, tread lightly."

"I will, my friend," Blaine answered then headed home for a little bit. He honestly wasn't sure if his father and brother would even know if he was missing, but he had promised his mother the day he lay by her unmoving body that he would do whatever he could to take care of them. So, he always made sure that the mending was done, and he brought whatever food he could home to them.

After his father and brother went to sleep that night, which was earlier than most people since they got up early to go to work, Blaine snuck out and made his way to the Hummel's residence. He had been going back and forth all day about whether he should go or not. On the one hand, if he got caught, the consequences could be severe. However, he felt a pull to see this boy and learn more about him. In the end, he chose to go, consequences be damned.

Nobody bothered him on his walk through town. Blaine had learned over the years, and with the help of Elliot, that if you didn't bother anyone, they wouldn't bother you back. And, since he was dressed poorly, he wouldn't get mugged by those who were even less fortunate than himself. Blaine did try to clean up as best as he could before leaving the house, though. He didn't want to be offensive in any way to the beautiful boy he was going to see.

When he finally arrived at the same alleyway he had been in the night before, he didn't see anyone there yet. He found a crate to hide behind, not wanting to get caught by anyone but the boy. As he was waiting, he recalled the story his mother had told him as a little boy. Every night before bed, he mentally read through it, hoping that someday, he'd be able to write it down. He sat down and began where he'd left off the night before.

" _Standing on the balcony of the castle was the most beautiful boy that Blaine had ever seen. Though he had to squint against the bright rays of sun, Blaine could make out the pale skin of the boy, a dark head of hair, and the brightest smile he'd ever seen. His head was angled toward the ground, cocked slightly to the left. It looked as though the boy was watching him. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, Blaine could just make out that the boy was dressed in the deep purple robes the royal family of Hucal wore. A crown graced his head, and he stood straight and regal on the balcony, the railing around it hiding him from the waist down. Was he watching Blaine?_ "

As Blaine in the story got his answer, the real Blaine was startled back to reality by the sound of a door opening and shutting. Though the sound was faint, Blaine heard it. He had trained himself over the years to recognize the little sounds here and there so that he would never be snuck up on. He was trying to figure out how to make himself known without scaring the other boy. In the end, he decided to stand up and gently clear his throat.

The other boy startled some but didn't make a sound. He caught sight of Blaine and smiled. _His smile looks just how I imagine the Prince's smile in the story to look, bright like the sun shining overhead._

"Hello," Blaine whispered.

"Hello," the other boy whispered back. "I'm so glad you came. Come with me. I know of a place where we won't have to be so quiet."

Kurt lived on the edge of a park and knew of a very good area where they could talk without being found. It took them a couple of minutes to walk there. Once they reached their destination, Kurt sat down on the ground and beckoned for Blaine to join him.

"I realized after you left last night that I never introduced myself. I'm Kurt," he said and tipped his head toward Blaine.

"Just like in my story," Blaine whispered, fearful that anything louder would break the spell he felt himself under.

Kurt gasped. He only knew of one story with his name in it, and he was very doubtful that this boy had heard the same story he had. It wasn't one that was widely told. "What story is that?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

 _Surely, even if I tell him the name, he won't know what I'm talking about,_ Blaine thought. "It's a story my mother used to tell me called _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_."

Kurt gasped again, this time with tears in his eyes. "How is it that you know that story?"

"I just told you," Blaine answered. "My mother used to tell it to me when I was very young. I recite it to myself every night before I fall asleep so that I won't ever forget it."

"If you forget a part, why don't you just ask your mother to help you remember it?" Kurt asked.

"My mother went to be with the angels when I was but eight-years-old," Blaine answered sadly.

"I'm so sorry," Kurt said. While his mother irritated him to no end, he did not wish her to be with the angels.

"Thank you for your sympathies, Kurt," Blaine said. Then, something occurred to him. "Do you think, just like the Fates put Kurt and Blaine together in the story, that somehow Fate has put us in each other's paths here?"

"I have learned that there is very little that can deter Fate when something is meant to be," Kurt said. "Earlier this week, my mother offered to let me go live in Paris. It is a dream of mine to study my craft and become a better singer and pianist, though bettering myself was not her intention. She means for me to marry. That is why I was crying last night. My father is not going to force me into marriage."

"That's wonderful news," Blaine said, indescribably happy that Kurt would not have to marry someone he didn't love. He also felt a tinge of jealousy at the thought of this beautiful boy in front of him with anyone else. "Lucky for myself, that will never be an issue." Blaine looked to the ground, not wanting Kurt to see the shame in his eyes.

"Why is that?" Kurt asked.

"I have nothing to offer anyone," Blaine said. "Besides, even if I did, finding someone to love me and my unique tastes would be a difficult task in and of itself."

Kurt nodded, "I've only known you but an hour, and I think you have a lot to offer. As for your unique tastes, I guess I'd have to know more about them to understand."

Blaine took a steadying breath; he was about to reveal his biggest secret. Not even Elliot knew this part of him. Blaine trusted Kurt, and he was no closer to explaining that feeling than he had been the previous night when he was drawn to him. "I am like Blaine in the story."

If Kurt hadn't been intently listening, he would have missed the whispered response. "You are?" Kurt asked, hopeful that he hadn't misheard the boy sitting in front of him. The more he sat there, studying Blaine, the more beautiful he was. Sure, he was a little on the dirty side, and his clothes needed serious mending and updating. But his eyes told the stories of his soul.

Blaine looked up at Kurt, golden, hazel eyes boring into glasz blue. "I am." This time, Blaine's voice was more solid.

"Me, too," Kurt confessed.

The boys smiled their brightest smiles at each other. They continued talking until the chill in the air became too unbearable, and they knew they needed to return to their homes. Before Blaine left Kurt's side, Kurt asked him to meet him again the following night. Blaine agreed that he would meet him at the park in the same spot.

Kurt took a chance and kissed Blaine's cheek before he went inside. Blaine floated all the way home, his cheek tingling from where Kurt's lips had touched it.

 _Please_ , Blaine thought. _Whoever is out there and can hear my prayer, please keep that beautiful, kind boy in my life. I just know if we were given the chance, we'd make each other very happy for the rest of our lives._ With the biggest smile on his face, Blaine drifted off to sleep and had dreams of the story he had fallen asleep reciting.


	5. The Separation

Kurt and Blaine met as often as they could over the next couple of years and built a strong friendship that eventually led to something more. On the first anniversary of the first night they met, Blaine gave Kurt a leather bracelet. It was simple and sturdy and would not raise too much suspicion if someone noticed it. Blaine had saved his extra money for months in order to purchase the leather to make it. Kurt had drawn Blaine a picture of himself to always keep with him. Blaine had mentioned one night that he wished they could see each other all of the time and that Kurt's smile was what got Blaine through particularly rough days.

On the third anniversary of when they met, Kurt gifted Blaine with something he would keep for all time. It was a book that looked to be handwritten and illustrated. "Thank you, Kurt," Blaine whispered. He had told Kurt all about his mother by that time. He'd told him that she taught him what little she knew, which wasn't much, and that he could read a very, very little.

"It's _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ ," Kurt said. "I, um, I copied it for you and drew in some illustrations with how I picture things."

Blaine had tears in his eyes. This was by far the most special gift he had ever been given. "Thank you doesn't seem adequate enough."

"This story is something that I feel has brought us together somehow," Kurt explained. "I can't quite understand it all myself, but there is something about this story that is meaningful to us, more than just our namesakes. I wrote down my own copy years ago, and I wanted you to have it, too, so you'd never forget it. I know that's something you worry about and why you recite it before you go to bed."

"I feel like my gift to you is somewhat inadequate," Blaine said through his tears.

"If it's from you," Kurt said, "it will be the most precious gift ever."

"My gift is myself," Blaine said with a blush rising on his cheeks. "Whenever, if ever we can, I want to give myself to you completely. I love you, Kurt."

"Oh, my sweet, Blaine," Kurt said and cupped Blaine's cheek. "I love you, too. My family is supposed to be visiting my grandmother in a month's time. She does not venture out when it gets too cold, and my father is afraid of her not making it through the next few months. I will feign illness and meet you in the alleyway. If we time it right, all of the servants will have gone to bed, and we can go to my chambers."

On the night they were meant to meet, Blaine waited in the freezing cold for hours with no sign of Kurt. The most awful thoughts ran through Blaine's mind. All of the warnings that Elliot had given him, all of the derogatory things he had heard about his position in life during his work shining shoes, every bad thought he'd ever had about his own inadequacy in his relationship with Kurt were playing on repeat through his mind. When it was getting closer to the sun rising, Blaine finally left his perch and began to walk home. He was numb from the cold and from his heartache.

"Blaine," Dr. Edwards shouted. He would know the boy's frame anywhere and, he couldn't, for the life of himself, figure out what the boy was doing out this late. When he caught up to the boy, he could tell he was in pretty bad shape. "You're coming with me."

Blaine didn't put up a fight and followed the doctor's lead. Thankfully, they weren't very far from the doctor's home. Dr. Edwards really wasn't sure, based on the way Blaine looked, how long he had been out in the cold. Once they got to the house, Dr. Edwards' manservant was ordered to get blankets and hot tea and bring them to the guest room, located right next to the doctor's bedroom.

Dr. Edwards asked another servant to prepare a warm bath and fetch him some clean clothes. "Whatever you can find closest to the boy's size," he requested. The servants quickly and efficiently did what he asked. They all liked working for the doctor. He was good to them and never treated them unfairly. In return, they did their best for him. After the doctor bathed Blaine and got him into fresh clothes, he put him in the bed and covered him with extra blankets. By this time, Blaine's coloring had come back enough that the doctor didn't worry about turning his back to fix Blaine's tea. He had a secret ingredient that he wanted to put in it, hoping that the small amount would be enough to heal any internal damage that had been done by the prolonged exposure to the cold.

"Drink this," Dr. Edwards said and helped Blaine tip the cup to his mouth. Blaine was still shaky, and the doctor didn't want him to spill any of it. At the first sip, Blaine scrunched up his face at the taste. "It has a little something extra in it that will help you feel better. Please, drink."

Once Blaine was finished with every last drop of his tea, he looked at the doctor and spoke for the first time since he had been found that evening. "Thank you for saving me," he rasped.

"You're welcome," Dr. Edwards replied. "Might I ask what you were doing out at this hour?"

Blaine looked down, a crestfallen look on his face. "I was supposed to meet someone, and they didn't show up. I guess I waited too long to head home."

"Would you trust me enough to tell me who you were meeting?"

Blaine looked up at the doctor and studied his eyes. Elliot had taught him a lot about people over the years. He could tell when someone was lying to him, and he could tell when they were being sincere. Blaine had never noticed it before, but there was something about the doctor that Blaine couldn't explain. It wasn't anything bad per se, just something different. At that moment, he felt like he could trust the doctor with every secret he ever had and knew that he would be an integral part of his life for many years to come. "I was meeting my love."

"Did you get so caught up in your love for each other that you lost track of time?" Dr. Edwards asked.

Blaine looked down again, "No, sir," he whispered. "My love did not show."

"Maybe something came up, and he couldn't get away," the doctor offered.

"What did you say?" Blaine asked, eyes wide. _Surely he doesn't know my secret. If he did, he wouldn't want me in his home._

"I said," Dr. Edwards said with a smile on his face, "maybe something came up, and he couldn't get away."

"That's what I thought you said," Blaine whispered, afraid if he spoke too loudly someone might hear him. _But the doctor said it out loud, so maybe it's not that big of a deal in this household?_ "How did you know?"

"While we were walking, you were mumbling about Kurt, and I just put two and two together," the doctor answered. "This wouldn't be Kurt Hummel, would it?"

"Yes," Blaine said with concern in his eyes. How did this man know so much?

"I ask because his father was brought into the hospital tonight with heart ailments," Dr. Edwards answered, reading the concern on Blaine's face like a book. "He is stable, though Kurt was very shaken up."

"I am sorry his father has taken ill," Blaine said. "Though, that eases my mind somewhat. I thought he was done with me, and the sneaking around was getting to be too much."

"How long have you two been seeing one another?"

"Just over three years," Blaine answered. "Tonight was supposed to be a very special night for us. I guess it will have to wait, though."

"Don't give up hope just yet," Dr. Edwards said. "You are young, and you have all of the time in the world to do all of the things you want to with Kurt. If you wanted, I could give him a message tomorrow when I go back to the hospital."

"Would you really?" Blaine asked. He was still amazed at the kindness the doctor continually showed him and his best friend.

Dr. Edwards smiled, "Yes, I really would." He took down a message stating that Blaine wished Kurt's father a quick recovery, that they would meet again when the time was right, and to stay safe. He signed it himself, "With all my love, Blaine."

Blaine stayed with the doctor for five whole days before he deemed him well enough to leave. The next morning, Dr. Edwards said that he would tell Elliot of Blaine's whereabouts and asked if he should get a message to Blaine's father and brother.

"No," Blaine replied, resigned. "They likely won't know I'm gone."

Sensing that Blaine didn't want to elaborate, the doctor dropped the subject.

Elliot came to visit the following day after he was done with shoe-shining, and every day after that Blaine was ill. When Elliot got to Blaine's room, he rushed over to hug his friend then spent several minutes scolding him for being out in the cold for so long. He was worried about his friend and knew that he desperately wanted him to get better. Blaine was his family, and without him, Elliot didn't know what he would do.

Each night that Blaine was at the doctor's home, he was given a cup of the funny tasting tea and spent all of the doctor's free time talking to him about everything and nothing at all. The doctor asked about the book Blaine carried, and he told him about it. Dr. Edwards asked if he could read the book to Blaine. At first, he wasn't sure about it, but in the end, he agreed. It helped him to feel connected to Kurt when they couldn't be together.

Dr. Edwards told Blaine several days after he went home that Kurt's father had passed away, and the family was in mourning. Elliot later told him that it would likely be a few months before he was able to see Kurt again. He knew that the period for mourning was something that those in high society did not take lightly, and Kurt's mother would certainly make her family adhere to it, no matter what. Blaine was devastated but knew that Kurt needed to be with his family during this very difficult time. Elliot, ever his rock, did everything he could to support him, and one night, he gave him an idea.

Later that evening, Dr. Edwards heard a knock on his door.

"Could you get Kurt a message for me?" Blaine asked desperately.

Dr. Edwards agreed and offered to be the go-between until the two could meet up again. The message said that Blaine missed and loved Kurt very much and that he would wait for him until he was ready and able to see him again.

As Fate would have it, the boys were not able to make a meeting work for the next two years. They did their best to get by, continuing to feel the ever so faint pull between them that somehow was binding them together. Being able to feel it kept them both sane during this time apart.

Blaine spent all of his time finding ways to make extra money. When he and Elliot shined shoes, they performed their hearts out even more than normal. They found odd jobs here and there that they could do as well, oftentimes doing tasks for Dr. Edwards. The man seemed to have taken a special liking to them, and was always happy to help. They even told him about their plans to someday move to Paris and build a new life for themselves there. Blaine also spent time attempting to teach himself how to read. It was very slow going since he had no teacher. He would spend what little time he had free to read over the words he knew by heart and hope he was getting them right. One night, after Blaine and Elliot had finished some extra work at the doctor's home, the doctor asked Blaine about how his reading was coming along. Blaine read a few paragraphs of the first chapter aloud to him, pointing to each word as he progressed. Dr. Edwards praised Blaine in his progress and only had to help him make a few minor corrections.

Kurt worked on drawing his landscapes and clothing and reading all of the screenplays he could. Even more so now than ever, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to go into the theater. His dad would have been supportive of him, but now that he was gone, he knew that his mother would likely have other ideas for how he was to spend his time.

Elizabeth had become overbearing in the wake of her husband's death and was all but forcing him into social situations, pushing him to find a wife. Elijah and Beatrice tried to run interference, but Elizabeth was adamant. Beatrice was now married with a child of her own, and Elijah had three children, two boys and a girl with another on the way.

"Mother," Elijah said one spring morning. "We are going to go to the country for a few months while Rebecca can still travel. We would like for you to join us."

"That sounds divine," Elizabeth replied. She knew of many eligible maidens near their country home, and Kurt would have to meet with them if she invited them over.

When it came time to go, Elijah, Rebecca, the children, their nanny, and Elizabeth set out to the country. Elizabeth had been livid to learn that Kurt was not coming with them.

"Beatrice needs his assistance, and since I am the current head of the house, I approved it," Elijah said, leaving no room for argument.

Kurt had hugged his brother fiercely when he let him in on his plan. "Thank you, brother," Kurt had said, tears misting his eyes. "I know it's not conventional to say, but I love you dearly, and I am so glad that God gave me you as a brother."

"I love you, too, Kurt," Elijah whispered into his brother's hair and then kissed his temple.

The night the rest of his family left, Kurt made his way to Beatrice's home. It wasn't far from his own home, thankfully. At dinner that evening, they had a guest: Dr. Edwards. Beatrice explained to Kurt that the doctor and her husband, Michael, were good friends, and he sometimes joined them for meals. During their meal, Beatrice asked Kurt if he had brought his drawing supplies with him for his stay at her home. He looked at her confused and replied that he had not. Beatrice suggested that perhaps the next day he could go there and get them, so they could draw and paint together like they had when they were children. And, since all of the servants had gone on holiday while the family was not home, he wouldn't disturb anyone with his presence. She subtly winked at him, and he was finally able to catch her intent. Dr. Edwards asked Kurt about his drawing, and the awkward moment seemed to be forgotten.

Kurt asked to be excused after the meal for a few moments and then returned to his family as quickly as possible. He joined in the conversation that Michael and Dr. Edwards were having seamlessly. Before the doctor left, Kurt slipped him a note. The doctor gave him a questioning look which Kurt answered with a subtle nod. The next morning, Dr. Edwards gave the note to Blaine while Elliot shined his shoes and Blaine sang. The boys had long ago decided that they would switch on and off who shined and who sang if there was only one customer.

When the boys had finished their work for the day, they walked to the market and bought some fruit and bread.

"It's been two years," Elliot stated. "Do you think that note is from him?"

"I know it is," Blaine said, smiling. The note was in his pocket, and he couldn't wait to read it. "You are my very best friend, Elliot. Do you think that you will ever like him?"

"It's not that I don't like him," Elliot replied. "I don't know him at all. Maybe sometime I could meet him?"

"I'd like that," Blaine replied. "I will ask him when I see him again."

"I'm going to go home and sleep," Elliot stated. "I've been feeling off today and need to rest so I can work tomorrow." Elliot really didn't feel good at all. He hadn't been for a few days, but he didn't want to say anything and worry his friend and hearing that Kurt might possibly be back in the picture made him feel even worse. Elliot was now scared not only of how he felt but also that his friend might be taken away by love. Maybe he would just go straight to Dr. Edwards. Although he knew his best friend would be alright if anything happened to him, he wasn't quite ready to leave him just yet.

"Rest well, my friend," Blaine said and noticed the dark bags under Elliot's eyes. If they got much worse, he would take him to see Dr. Edwards. Blaine was excited about the letter he'd received, and he wanted to get home to read it. But, he wanted to make sure his friend was alright first. When Elliot told him he would likely go directly to Dr. Edwards instead of home, Blaine offered to go with him. Elliot declined, knowing that Blaine had been missing Kurt, even if he never voiced it aloud. Reluctantly, Blaine and Elliot parted ways, not knowing that the next three days would change their lives forever.

Blaine got home, read the note, and cleaned himself as thoroughly as he could. The note had said, "Alleyway, after the moon has risen, tonight." He was so excited he was seeing his love tonight that he didn't notice his own tiredness.


	6. The First Time

Blaine made himself as clean as he could, wishing he could do better for Kurt. _He doesn't care,_ Blaine thought. _He's seen me in a much worse state than this, and still, he's kept coming back to me._ Blaine tried to calm his nerves to the best of his ability, remembering what was supposed to happen during his and Kurt's last meeting. He had never told Kurt what had happened to him as a result of that night, nor did he ever intend to. Blaine knew that it would make the boy, well, man, he loved feel awful, and their time together was too precious to dwell on things they couldn't change.

When the time was right, Blaine left his house. It was peculiar that his brother and father weren't home from work yet. Blaine had heard tales while shoe shining that there had been some illness among the workers at the docks, but he hadn't gotten any indication from his family that they had been affected or were near it. Since he hadn't heard anything about it, he wasn't very concerned. All he and his family did was share a dwelling at night. He walked toward Kurt's home, thinking idly about his day and hoping that his friend was doing better.

Once Blaine arrived at Kurt's, he sat where he usually did to wait, and he thought about all of the ways the night could go. He honestly didn't know what all two men could do together other than the things his mother described in Nothing Can Keep Us apart, which was only kissing though he always suspected there were parts she was leaving out. If that's where the evening ended, and hoped if they went further than sharing kisses, Kurt would be able to guide them. He had some vague ideas but nothing concrete. Blaine was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open. He only noticed that something lit up inside of him, and the tether that he'd been feeling for the last several years grew just a little bit more substantial.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered when he looked up and saw him standing in front of him.

"Please, won't you come in?" Kurt whispered back through tears in his eyes. He was so happy that Blaine had come, that they were able to see each other once more. Kurt also wanted to get them both inside before someone saw them, not wanting to cause any rumors or scandals for his family.

Once they were inside and the door was locked, Kurt and Blaine stared at each other, not quite sure what to do next. "I've missed you, Blaine," Kurt said.

"I've missed you, too, Kurt," Blaine said, tears forming in his own eyes. "I've missed you every second of every day that we haven't been able to see each other."

"This may sound odd," Kurt said through his tears, "but I've known you were alright, even though we've been apart. I could feel it somehow."

"It's not odd," Blaine answered and took a small step toward Kurt. "I can feel it, too, and right now, it's pulling me closer to you."

Kurt closed the distance and embraced Blaine. They hugged for several moments, both glad to be in each other's arms again. "So, I've got a few things planned for tonight. I prepared us a bath before we do anything else. I've been working to get things perfect for this evening all day, and I need a soak. I thought, if you're up to it, you'd like to join me? I know we're not exactly to that point in our relationship right now, but we were at one point in time. And, I know I will be able to relax so much more after I am clean. After we're done, we can grab some food and see where the rest of the night leads us."

"That sounds heavenly," Blaine answered. He had a brief moment of panic, hoping that he didn't smell too terribly. When Kurt said why he wanted to bathe, though, it eased his fears, and he was looking forward to being able to spend time with the love of his life in a very intimate way.

Kurt led Blaine to his chambers and only hesitated for a moment before he started to undo his layers of clothing. Blaine asked if he could help, unsure if Kurt would welcome the gesture or not. "Of course," Kurt answered breathily. Blaine began unfastening Kurt's top then moved to his breeches. Then, he knelt in front of Kurt and took down his stockings, leaving him bare.

"You're absolutely breathtaking," Blaine whispered, afraid if he spoke any louder he would ruin the moment. He stood up and started to take off his own, simple clothing.

Kurt touched his hands and asked, "May I?" Blaine nodded, and Kurt took over undressing him. Once they were both naked, Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes. They simply stared for a few heartbeats, and then, at the same time, the tether between them pulled them together; and, they shared their first kiss.

This kiss was like none other that had ever been shared in all of history. As they kissed, they saw flashes of themselves in strange areas and dressed in strange clothes. They were merely flashes, and they were overtaken by the pure heat between them. Kurt and Blaine's lips were melding together in a way they had never anticipated, making it feel like they were one being at that moment.

As they continued to kiss, they both felt the tether inside of them grow stronger. Nothing more, nothing less. They noticed that it felt more secure, almost like they could reach out and touch it, though they both knew they couldn't. It wasn't anything they could describe, nor did they acknowledge it; it just was. They had no idea what the feeling meant. What they did know, though, was that it felt like they were exactly where they were meant to be doing exactly what they were meant to be doing.

Surprisingly, neither one felt the least bit awkward while kissing naked. They knew that they were always meant to be kissing the other from now until forever. Neither one moved to deepen the interaction either. They simply enjoyed the taste of the other on their lips. It wasn't until they felt each other's cocks growing significantly that they were able to form coherent thoughts.

When they finally were able to part, they leaned their foreheads together, not quite ready to be separated, and they continued to breathe each other's air for a minute or two. "We should get in before the water cools too much," Kurt said, breaking the silence.

"Okay," Blaine replied. "After you."

Kurt climbed into the tub and held his hand out to guide Blaine in. It was big enough for the two of them to sit across from each other comfortably. For several minutes, they just basked in the company of the other. Blaine was the one to break the silence this time. "I love you, Kurt," he said, feeling like if he didn't say those words, he would burst.

"I love you, too," Kurt replied. "I've never stopped."

"Me either," Blaine replied.

"I am so sorry about that night we were supposed to meet, my love," Kurt said, the pet name slipping out. Blaine didn't look panicked by it, and Kurt loved the way it felt rolling off of his tongue.

"Please don't worry yourself about that," Blaine answered. "I know that it wasn't intentional and that you were where you needed to be. I only wish that I could have been at your side to comfort you."

"In a way, you were," Kurt said. "I could always feel you, and that is what got me through the time we haven't been able to be together. This pull is a strange thing, something I've never heard or read about. Now, after we've shared a kiss, it seems to have gotten stronger."

"I can feel it, too," Blaine agreed. "It's what got me through difficult times as well. I wonder what it means."

"I don't know," Kurt said. "I just know that I'm glad we have it, whatever it is."

"Me, too," Blaine said, all of a sudden drained of energy.

"Are you alright, my love?" Kurt asked. He'd noticed the sudden shift in Blaine's energy almost immediately.

"I am all of a sudden very tired," Blaine said, trying to make sense of what was happening to him.

"May I wash you?" Kurt offered. He was concerned and vowed to keep an eye on Blaine while he was with him. As long as Blaine was near him, Kurt knew nothing bad would happen to his love. He'd call a doctor if Blaine seemed to be getting worse.

"That would be wonderful, Kurt," Blaine answered, some of his energy coming back.

Kurt washed Blaine with gentle and caring hands then quickly cleaned himself. He got out of the tub first and wrapped himself in a fluffy bath cloth before offering Blaine his hand once more to help him out. Kurt dried Blaine, very worried about his love.

"I am feeling much better now," Blaine admitted once he had sat down on the bed. "I think maybe the emotions of the day got to me and overwhelmed me some."

"Still," Kurt began, "I would like for you to wait here, and I will go fetch our food and bring it here."

"I don't want you to go to too much trouble," Blaine responded.

"It's no trouble at all," Kurt assured him. "It's a simple meal that can easily be brought up here."

Blaine could see the determination in Kurt's eyes and nodded his head in agreement to the plan. Kurt returned shortly with a tray of food for them to share. After they ate their meal, Blaine looked and felt much better, though there was still a nagging feeling deep inside him that something wasn't right. Since the feeling didn't have anything to do with Kurt, he wasn't going to let it stop him or their evening.

"That was delicious, Kurt," Blaine said after he'd had his fill. He knew that he couldn't indulge too much. Once, after he and Elliot had earned a bit of extra money, they had gorged on food their bodies weren't used to and had become sick from it.

"Thank you," Kurt replied, accepting the compliment. "I wanted to ask…"

"You can still ask me anything," Blaine said after a moment of silence.

Kurt took a steadying breath and turned to Blaine. "I wanted to ask if the last gift you gave me is still available?"

"Of course it is, my love," Blaine answered immediately. "It's all I ever wanted, though, I have to confess, I'm not entirely sure what it would entail for us."

Kurt blushed a beautiful pink color. "We have a servant, the one who first told me our story, who knows about my preferences. He is a confidant of sorts, and he has told me what it is that two men can do together. I mean, it’s described in Nothing Can Keep Us Apart, but he explained it to me in more detail than the story described."

Before Kurt could utter another word, Blaine interrupted him. "Show me, please."

Kurt's lips were on Blaine's as the "please" left his lips. For several minutes, the two just kissed passionately. Kurt traced Blaine's lips with his tongue, and when Blaine gasped at the sensation, Kurt gently placed his tongue inside Blaine's mouth. They kissed for what seemed like forever, but in reality was only mere minutes, before they were both gasping for air.

"I want you inside me, my love," Kurt said.

"Show me what to do," Blaine pleaded, loving the sound of being connected to his lover.

They lay down on the bed, and Kurt reached for a vial of something from the nightstand next to his bed. "Have you ever touched yourself here, Blaine?" Kurt asked, gently touching Blaine's hole with his index finger.

Blaine shook his head. "I have made myself hard, thinking about you, but I've never touched myself there."

"That's what you will need to do to prepare me for you," Kurt explained, glad that his love had thought of him while he masturbated. "You will cover your fingers in the oil and then, one at a time, insert them into me until I am loose enough to accommodate your girth."

"Won't that hurt you?" Blaine asked, unsure how he would ever fit.

"It might at first," Kurt replied. "I have touched myself here, though, thinking about you when I do so. It won't take me long to relax and be ready for you. I've dreamt of this moment for so long; please…any amount of pain will be well worth it. I promise."

Blaine coated his index finger in the oil and then rubbed it around Kurt's hole, getting him used to his touch there. Kurt was looking at him with such trust and adoration; Blaine knew at that moment that he would never hurt this man, and he would love him until the last bit of breath left his lungs. Blaine slowly inserted his finger, loving the warmth and tightness that was now surrounding him.

"Now, move it in and out, slowly at first then you can increase the speed," Kurt instructed. He felt like he was being somewhat clinical in his description, but he knew that this was all new to his love. He wanted to make sure it was good for them both.

Blaine listened to his instructions and when Kurt told him to, he added another finger. After he added the third, he brushed up against something inside of Kurt which had him moaning in pleasure.

"Do that again, my love," Kurt panted. Blaine obliged and continued to rub the spot for a few more strokes. "Please, please cover your cock in the oil and put it in me. I am ready for you."

Blaine did as he was told. He positioned himself above Kurt, and just like he did with his finger, he slowly entered his love. The grip around him was like nothing he had ever imagined. It was perfect.

The stretch for Kurt took a little bit to get used to, but once Blaine was seated, the fullness and connection was almost enough to make him spill his seed without any further stimulation.

"You need to move in and out of me," Kurt said. "You feel so good inside of me, my love."

Blaine began to experimentally move his hips, pumping himself in and out of Kurt. It felt so good. Better than anything had ever felt in his life. He was about to ask if it felt this good for Kurt when his love moaned in ecstasy.

"Touch me, please, Blaine," Kurt whimpered.

Blaine held himself up with one arm and grabbed around his lover's leaking cock, matching his strokes to the tempo of his hips. Without warning, Kurt came with a shout and in doing so, clamped down on Blaine, whose orgasm hit him like a hurricane. When Blaine had finished, he collapsed on top of Kurt, unable to hold himself up anymore.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's body and stroked through his curly hair. "I love you, Blaine," he said. "Thank you for giving me the best experience of my life."

"I love you, too," Blaine answered. "It was by far the best moment of my life, too. Let me go get something to clean us up. I am all of a sudden very tired and should head home before someone finds me here or my family wakes, and I am not there."

"I wish you didn't have to go," Kurt replied.

"Me either," Blaine said as he began to move. He was more sluggish now than he was before. He could tell that something was wrong, but he didn't want to scare Kurt by voicing it. _I'll go see Dr. Edwards tomorrow if it persists._

There was something else on his mind that he wanted to ask Kurt and now seemed as good as a time as any. "Someday, would you consider moving to Paris with Elliot and me? We've been saving for it…for buying a piece of land and building a house there. We want to start over, and Paris seems like the best place to do that."

"That sounds divine," Kurt said, absolutely loving the idea. "Is this something Elliot is okay with?"

"I will ask him, but he knows how deep my love is for you," Blaine explained. "He's practically my brother, so I'm sure he will say it is fine. I will ask him when I see him in the morning."

"I would want to help out financially," Kurt said. "I refuse to just tag along."

"If that is what you wish, then I see no problem with it."

"I do," Kurt said. "And, it could happen sooner than any of us thought that way. I need to get away from here before my mother marries me off. My brother and sister will both support me in leaving. While they don't necessarily understand me, they love me and know that this will make me happier than I ever could have imagined being."

"That sounds wonderful!" Blaine exclaimed and hugged his love. "I must be going now. The sun will be rising soon, and I need to be home before my father and brother awake for work."

"Be safe, my love," Kurt said and kissed him once more.

As Blaine walked home, he became more and more lethargic. He was sure it was from overexerting himself with Kurt, but he couldn't stop the nagging feeling that something was very wrong with him. When he arrived home, nobody was there. The beds were not slept in, and the house felt eerily quiet. On a whim, Blaine gathered his most prized possessions: the picture and book Kurt had given him, a piece of fabric from his mother's favorite dress, and the blanket he had been swaddled in as an infant. He hoped the feeling he had was wrong and that he would be coming back here again.


	7. Tragedy

A/N: I'm taking a few liberties history and medical accuracies with this chapter. But hey, it's all fiction anyway.

* * *

Deciding he needed to see someone right away, Blaine left his house and made his way to Dr. Edwards' home, trudging slowly most of the way. He was trying, and failing miserably, to keep the good mood he had left Kurt's home with. Every step he took was a struggle, and he knew it wasn't because his legs were tired from what he and Kurt had done earlier. Something was terribly wrong with him.

Once he finally got to the doctor's house, feeling weaker and weaker by the moment, he knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. When the door wasn't answered right away, he slid down the wall and sat on the ground, making sure his treasures were secure in his arms. Blaine focused on the tether he felt connecting him and Kurt. He could feel that the tether was strong at the moment, and he tried his best not to be too distressed by what was happening to him. Blaine wasn't quite sure if Kurt could feel his emotions or anything like that via the tether, but his logical mind wasn't working all that well at the moment. If he was sick, he didn't want to put Kurt in danger by being around him any more than he already had that evening. _Maybe it was something we ate that didn't agree with me and that's why I'm not feeling well._

"I love you," Blaine whispered into the darkness. "I love you so much, and I am so very thankful that you were put into my life."

He must have fallen asleep waiting, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up in a bed, feeling worse than he ever remembered feeling in his life. He was drenched in sweat and there was a terrible aching feeling all over his body. Blaine looked to his left and saw Elliot asleep in a bed next to him.

"Sleep, Blaine," Dr. Edwards told him. "You've been tossing and turning for the last day. You need rest if you are to pull through this without help."

"What's wrong with me?" Blaine croaked.

"I would guess the same thing that's killing so many down at the docks," Dr. Edwards said. "Have you seen your brother or father lately?"

"Not for a few days," Blaine replied. "Do you think they're…" He couldn't even finish the thought. If they were dead, he'd be completely without a family now. Honestly, they hadn't really ever been his family, not the way Elliot was, but he still didn't think he was ready to be an orphan.

"I'm afraid it is likely," the doctor answered. "And, if they are, it is also likely that they passed the sickness on to you. You're healthier than they are, so you've been able to fight it longer. Who else have you been in contact with in the past few days?"

"Just our customers mainly. I was with Kurt before I came here, though," Blaine answered, now very worried about his love. It was common knowledge that those who lived in higher society took worse to illnesses since their immune systems were not able to naturally fight things off like those who were poorer were since they were exposed to disease more often. "Please, could you have someone check on him? If I've harmed him in any way…" Blaine couldn't finish that thought either. It was in those few moments that he could feel the tether weakening and deep in his soul, he knew that even if Dr. Edwards made it to him, there wouldn't be any way to save him.

Dr. Edwards stated that he would personally go to the Hummel residence and check on him.

"He's at his sister's," Blaine replied before sleep overtook him once more, mumbling about his treasures and Kurt.

The next thing he knew, he felt a piercing pain in his neck and then pressure, almost as if something were sucking at his neck. Then, something was forcing his mouth open and coaxing him to swallow. The taste was awful, though he didn't have the strength to fight his swallowing reflexes. Right after he swallowed, he wished he hadn't. His whole body burned like it had been lit on fire, almost as if he were burning from the inside out. Thankfully, between his lack of energy and the pain, Blaine passed out and slept for another two days.

He would wake up intermittently, still on fire, and lose his battle with the pain. Even in sleep, though, the pain remained. Blaine was also seeing flashes of Kurt in a strange place. It was dimly lit, and there seemed to be a person standing behind a stand of some sort. Nothing was making any sense to him, though. The flashes weren't in any coherent order, and from what he could tell, Kurt was very sad and confused. When he'd left him after their amazing night together, Kurt had been smiling and felt almost like he was floating. What could have happened to make him so sad? Even through the blinding pain, Blaine could still feel the tether that he knew was connecting him to Kurt, so whatever happened couldn't be that bad, could it?

When Blaine finally started to stir, he could instantly feel that something was wrong. The tether was still there, but it was weak. Even weaker than he'd remembered it feeling when he'd last fallen asleep. However, even though the tether was weakened, he could somehow sense that his and Kurt's story was not over yet, and he took comfort in it. The next thing he noticed was that he could hear so many new things: the sounds of animals scurrying, someone walking on the cobblestone road, merchants selling goods, and someone nearby calmly breathing.

As Blaine blinked his eyes opened, he realized that he could see everything around him with perfect clarity. He noticed, however, that he was in a dark room. There was absolutely no light getting in. _If there is no light, how can I see the colors so vibrantly?_ Blaine thought to himself.

"Kurt," Blaine shouted suddenly and sat up. He sat up so quickly, in fact, that he ended up across the room. _What in the hell just happened?_

"Blaine," a voice that sounded familiar, yet different, said softly.

Blaine turned toward the voice and saw that Dr. Edwards was standing across the room. He noticed that he was in a room he hadn't ever seen when he had gone to the doctor's home before and that Elliot was no longer in the bed beside where he'd awoken. His mind was on overload, trying to process all of the things happening around him. Blaine was working himself into a panic, and that’s when he felt the tether and that his connection to Kurt was still there. It was still there, though it wasn't nearly as strong as he remembered it. It was the only thing keeping him from melting down, and he clung to the feeling of connection with his lover desperately.

"What happened to me?" Blaine asked, somehow knowing that whatever it was was going to change his life forever. He could sense other things, too. Too many things were coming at him at once, and it was overwhelming. He could sense a change in his near future. He could sense despair and heartache, too. There were others, but they were all coming at him too fast. He needed everything to slow down; it was too much at once, and he wished he could fall asleep again and wake up outside of this confusing nightmare.

"Blaine," the doctor said once more, "breathe. You're starting to panic, and there is a lot I need to tell you. Please, I need you to calm down."

Blaine did his best to calm down. He thought of his time with Kurt in the park, the soft touches they had shared, the kisses, the love. He was finally calm and less scattered as he focused on the pleasant images in his head.

"Would you like to sit?" Dr. Edwards asked.

Blaine sat down in the chair next to him. The movements were odd to him. He was moving too fast, and he couldn't understand it at all. As he felt himself start to panic again, he thought about Kurt, and the panic seemed to dissipate. "Could I hold my treasures while we talk? I get the feeling that you're going to tell me something huge, and I'm not sure my memories and thoughts will be enough to keep me grounded."

"Of course," the doctor answered and took Blaine his book, picture, blanket, and a bit of fabric.

Once the items were placed in Blaine's hands, he calmed even more. "Okay. I'm ready. But first, where's Elliot? And, how's Kurt?"

"I will answer both of those questions for you," Dr. Edwards stated. "Firstly, Elliot awoke about an hour ago, and when I asked to wait to explain everything, he agreed. He's just in the other room. I would like to bring him in, as he has questions that haven't been answered as well. I wanted to tell both of you together so that you could lean on each other for support."

"I'd like that very much," Blaine answered.

"Elliot," the doctor said in a voice that was no louder than the one he was using to talk to Blaine. "You can come in now."

It was then that Blaine realized he could hear his friend on the other side of the door. He had been breathing quietly, likely trying to keep his own panic from rising. When Elliot stepped into the room, Blaine noted that he looked healthier than he'd ever seen him look. His face was without blemishes, and his eyes were…red?

"Blaine," Elliot shouted with excitement at seeing him and ran over to his friend. The motion took less time than the blink of an eye, and the boys were embracing instantly.

"It's good to see you, Elliot," Blaine said as he hugged his friend. Again, he could sense that something big was about to happen. Some sort of information was going to be told to him that was going to change his life. He wondered if it had anything to do with how they were moving and the color of his friend's eyes. _Surely this isn't what I think it is. Those are just legends, things parents tell their kids to make them listen._

The boys sat down, and Blaine asked again about his love. "Please, tell me about Kurt."

"Okay," the doctor said hesitantly. "After you woke and asked me to go check on Kurt, I did. He…he had already gone by that point. I am so sorry, Blaine. If I had known sooner, I could have saved him, like I did you and Elliot. I just didn't know."

"What?" Blaine asked, unsure he had heard the doctor correctly.

"Kurt died three days ago," Dr. Edwards repeated. He hated this part of being a doctor, especially when he had to tell someone he loved that someone they loved had passed on.

"But, I can still feel him," Blaine said. "Our story isn't over; I can tell." He was in shock. Blaine couldn't understand. If he could still feel their bond, their tether, how could Kurt be dead? There must be some kind of mistake. The look on the doctor's face, though, told him that there wasn't a mistake and that he was telling the truth.

"I might have some answers about some of that," the doctor replied. "But first, I have a couple more treasures for you. When I went to his sister's home, I found these under a floorboard I could tell had been opened recently."

The doctor handed Blaine Kurt's copy of _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ and the leather bracelet he had made for him all those years ago. Blaine held onto the new treasures and wept. He could smell Kurt on both of them, which only made his tears fall harder.

* * *

Kurt got to Beatrice's extremely early that morning and fell right asleep. When he finally awoke mid-morning, he felt tired, though not overly so, and decided it was due to the activities of the previous night. Just thinking about it put a smile on his face and gave him enough strength to get up and join his sister for a day of leisurely drawing. He went about his day just like any other, confiding in his sister that his night was successful and leaving it at that.

Before going to sleep that night, Kurt had a weird feeling in his heart that he should leave his bracelet and book beneath a loose floorboard before he fell asleep. He hadn't taken the bracelet off since it was placed on his wrist, but he had learned to trust these feelings when they came. The last thing Kurt remembered before falling asleep for the last time was fatigue. He was so, so tired and couldn't even call for Beatrice to help him. The next thing he knew, he arrived in a gray room with a single figure standing behind a podium. As he approached the figure, he was looking around, remembering everything, every moment with Blaine and his previous lifetimes, that had come before this moment. The golden ring was around him, but there was no Blaine beside him like there usually was when he came to this place.

"Where is Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"I have no idea," the figure replied. "I've never seen this happen before." He closed his eyes and was silent for several minutes.


	8. History

After Blaine's tears had finally subsided several minutes later, the doctor spoke again. "Before I answer your other question, I'd like to ask one of my own, if I may?" Blaine nodded, and the doctor continued. "You mentioned a tether. If you're comfortable, could you tell me more about that? I might have an idea what it is, but I need more information to see if I'm on the right track."

Blaine took a calming breath and held his treasures tightly. They were helping to keep him grounded as well as his best friend, his brother, beside him. "From the moment I first heard Kurt's voice, I've felt drawn to him. As we became emotionally closer, that sense of rightness got stronger. And, after we kissed, the tether between us felt almost tangible. Now, I can still feel it, but it's not as strong as it was."

"Amazing," Dr. Edwards whispered. "I've only ever heard of one other bond like yours. My sister, Isabella, and her mate, Everard, had what my family called a 'soulbond.'"

"A soulbond?" Elliot asked. "What does that mean?"

"As far as we can gather," the doctor said, "it means that Fate or God, whoever is in charge of things, deemed those two people to be together as a beacon of hope. My sister and her mate's love was epic. It puts what you read about in storybooks to shame. The only story I've seen that's come close is yours, Blaine. Your story tells of two people, soulmates I believe it calls them, who, once they die, are reborn in a sense in another lifetime. It means that your love, and my sister and Everard's love, is so big that one lifetime isn't enough to live it."

"Is your sister near?" Blaine asked hopefully. He was excited to hear about another bond like his and would love to be able to talk to someone about it.

A melancholy look came over Dr. Edwards' face. "Sadly, no, she is not. She and her mate died several years ago, if I were to guess, the day you were born to be exact." He took a deep breath. Even after all this time, talking about his sister's death was not an easy thing, especially when they had no idea how she had died. "One morning, they just disappeared. Nobody has seen nor heard from them since."

"Couldn't they have just run away?" Blaine asked.

"Just like you can feel Kurt," the doctor answered, "my father can feel us. Not in the exact same way, but he can tell where we are. And...this is the part that I need you both to keep an open mind about and not freak out."

Elliot and Blaine looked at each other and silently agreed that they would listen to what the doctor had to say before passing judgment. "We've trusted you for a long time, Dr. Edwards. We will hear you out," Elliot said.

"Thank you," the doctor replied. "What would you think if I told you that vampires are real?"

"Like the old poem my mother used to tell me to keep me inside at night?" Blaine asked.

Elliot then recited it. His parents had told it to him and his brother before they had died.

" _The cold ones among us  
Have been here so long.  
With an appetite for blood,  
They feel they belong._

_The cold ones will suffer  
From many a fate:  
Garlic or holy water  
The sun or a stake._

_Always be wary  
Keep watch for a sign  
Cast your eyes down  
Lest they think you divine._

_My warning to you:  
Stay in at night.  
That's when they feed;  
They may give you a fright."_

The doctor chuckled. "Yes, just like that poem. What do you guys take from it? Do you believe such creatures exist?"

"I suppose anything is possible," Blaine answered. He had never thought he would find someone who he could love so deeply, and he had found Kurt. Just thinking about him made his heartache. Just as quickly as it ached, though, it was soothed by the presence of the tether. The bond. It was like Kurt was comforting him from wherever it was he had gone. "Yes, I believe it is possible that they exist. If the last few years have taught me anything, it is that anything is possible."

"What would you say if I told you I was one?" the doctor asked.

Everything clicked all at once for Blaine. He vaguely remembered a pinch on his neck when he was feverish then drinking something that did not taste good at the time. The memory of the taste made his throat burn. His eyes flashed red, and he looked at the doctor, begging him with his eyes for help. Elliot must have had the same look in his eyes.

"Come to me, young ones," Dr. Edwards stated. "Feed, and then I will explain it all."

The boys got beside him and looked at him, unsure what to do next. "You will each take one of my wrists, puncture it with your fangs, and then swallow eight times. Any more than that and you will harm me. I have increased my own intake for this reason, but I'd rather not leave you both orphans."

Blaine and Elliot understood and at the same time, bit the wrist presented to them and took eight drinks each. Blaine didn't want to stop drinking; it tasted better than almost anything he'd ever tasted before. All but Kurt. _Kurt_. He needed to stop, so he could learn more and figure out when he might see Kurt again.

When Blaine let go, he felt clearer-headed and calmer. He could somehow sense that his friend wasn't going to stop, though, and went to pull him away from the doctor. "Elliot," he said hesitantly, "you need to stop. Please. I need you. I can't do this without you, and we both need him."

The plea broke through to his friend somehow, and Elliot stopped before he could cause any damage to the doctor. Blaine led the doctor to a comfortable looking chair in the room and helped him to sit down. He looked weak, though Blaine knew it could have been much worse.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Blaine asked.

"Over near the back corner of the room, you will find a rug," the doctor instructed. "Under the rug is a latch. Pull it up, and inside, you will find several jars. Bring me one and replace everything as it was so that the cold does not escape."

Blaine did as the doctor said. He found several jars filled with a red substance inside, which he was pretty sure was blood. _I guess being a doctor has its perks._ Blaine grabbed one of the jars and then put everything back. He was surprised to see that there was ice in the box that was being fairly well preserved for this time of year. It was something he'd have to make sure to ask the doctor about later, but for now, they had more pressing items to discuss. Blaine took the jar to the doctor and watched as he drank it slowly, replenishing what he and Elliot had taken from him.

"Thank you," Dr. Edwards stated. "Please, sit, and I will tell you the history of how I, well, we came to be."

Blaine, who was getting a better idea of how to control his speed, walked over to where he had been sitting before and grabbed all of his treasures. He liked having them near. They, along with Elliot, were keeping him grounded, and he could sense--he really needed to ask Dr. Edwards if this sensing thing was some vampire ability--that this was going to be quite the tale and that he would need help at times to stay calm.

"This is the story that my father, Matthew, told me when I was a young boy," Dr. Edwards began after Elliot had grabbed a very old book off of a nearby shelf for him. "It's the story of his childhood and how he came to be what he is today. He wanted to make sure that anyone turned or born into the family would know their origins in this new life. It is comprised of a series of letters that have been copied for my siblings and me."

" _During 'The Great Famine' and 'Black Death' plagues, it seemed like everyone around us was dying. Everyone except our family, that is. It's strange, thinking back; we never got sick. Ever. Not even the slightest of colds. One night, when I was around 13 years old, my brother, Elias, and I were out gathering firewood to bring back to the house when something happened. Out of nowhere, we were both being bitten, and while I couldn't see what was biting me, I could see that a wolf was biting him. But that's all that happened, just a bite. Nothing more, nothing less. Elias told me that a bat had bitten me as we ran back to the house, our firewood was forgotten on the forest floor._

" _When we arrived at the house, our father asked us what had happened, and when we told him, he did not seem as shocked as one would think a father would be at hearing his sons were attacked by wild animals. He told us that when he was a child, a 'seer' of sorts came across him one day and told him that his bloodline was unique and that his eldest sons would be the ones affected by whatever was destined to make it unique. As a child, my father didn't know what to think, so he continued to live life as usual, always keeping the seer's words in the back of his mind. He married my mother, Heloise, when he was 18 years old, and I was born about a year later, my brother coming about another year after that. After we were bitten, not a lot changed. My father began to wonder if the seer had been wrong, but then, wouldn't the bites have caused his sons more harm? The following year, my mother had another child, a boy, Aleron."_

Dr. Edwards paused for a moment and looked at both of the boys in front of him. "Do either of you have any questions so far?"

"So," Elliot broke the silence after a few moments, "your father was bitten by a bat when he was 13, but then nothing happened?"

"Correct," the doctor answered.

"I'm guessing there's more to the story then?" Blaine asked, sensing that what was just read to him was leading up to something else.

"Correct again," Dr. Edwards replied.

Elliot and Blaine looked at each other, silently having a conversation that could only happen with being as close as they were. "We'd like to hear the rest of the story, please," Blaine said to the doctor.

"As you wish," the doctor answered and continued to read from the tattered book.

" _When I was eighteen, I married your mother, Ava. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. For our first few years of marriage, we struggled. We wanted children and were unable to have them. The year I turned 25, though, many things in our lives changed. During the first new moon after I turned 25, I had this insatiable lust for blood. I couldn't describe it at the time, but everything clicked into place all at once after I tasted blood for the first time. One of our farmhands, a boy called William, was working late, and when I went to check to make sure all was in order before turning in, I caught him alone. Somehow, I was able to put him in a trance of sorts. Once I was sure he wasn't going to run or scream, I bit down on his neck and drank, though I did not drain him. My morality tugged at me, telling me when to stop. I licked the wound to stop the blood flow, thanked him, and told him that he wouldn't remember a thing. As I was leaving, my hand brushed his, and every second of his life flashed in my mind. Once our hands parted, the flashes stopped, and I ran to the house…it took me but a second to do so._

" _It was odd that everything was coming so naturally to me; somehow, I knew what to do without being taught. That night, I told your mother what had happened and waited for her response. She told me that she'd always known that something was different about me and that she wanted to be like me, too. I turned her right then and there by first tasting her blood and then giving her some of my own. She told me that turning was the most excruciating thing she'd ever been through in her life. The only way she could describe it to me was that it felt as though my blood was taking apart every cell inside of her and rebuilding it to be its perfect form. When she awoke days later, she was like me. I had her feed from me, innately knowing that this would strengthen not only her, but our bond as well._

" _While she was changing, I found out that the sun bothered her newly changing body. She would close her eyes tightly and whimper even more when the rays touched her face. Eventually, she was able to tolerate the sun and began learning to feed from others within a little over a week. It was important that she learn on me first, however, so as not to kill anyone she fed from. It was curious to me that she could also put others in a trance-like state in order to feed from them. I wondered if that was something all of my kind would be able to do, or if it was just those whom I created. Time would tell that it would be all of our direct bloodlines that possessed this skill._

" _It seemed that somehow, your mother had gained the extra ability to heal people. One of our other farmhands, Andrew, fell and hurt his leg. What should have taken him several days to overcome, he was able to heal from in a quarter of the time. Your mother did not want to instantly heal people, though she could, because she didn't want to put too much attention on herself._

" _After she was turned, your mother was able to bear children. All we could figure was that her turning repaired whatever was preventing us from conceiving before. To us were born you three only: your older brother, Percival; you, Josiah; and your younger sister, Isabella. We could have continued to have more children, but three was all we wanted. Your mother also turned a couple of people, mainly for research purposes as this world was all new to us. They did not possess any special abilities other than the gift of putting someone in a trance when they fed. Also, they didn't seem to mature as you kids do. They were stuck in the age of when they were turned, much like your mother and I are. You, however, seem to be growing as any other children do. We will have to see where it stops for those born of our kind._ "

The doctor took a moment to bring himself out of his father's story and begin to tell his own. "Before I continue, do you have any questions?"

"What happened to your grandparents and your other uncles?" Blaine asked.

"Elias married his mate, and they had two sons. From there, more sons were born and the wolf line has continued on. We don't really interact with them much. In the past, we've tried, but something about what we are repels each other. So, we try to stay away from each other. As for Aleron, he also married, and their line has continued through his sons as well. As far as we have been able to tell, they have no special abilities or traits."

"Is there a way to tell if someone is of the wolf line?" Elliot asked.

"You will sense them on a primal level, an instinct if you will," Josiah responded. "I'm not sure I know a better way to describe it than that."

"Can we finish hearing about your story?" Blaine asked.

"Of course," Josiah answered. "As we grew, my brother, Percival, developed the ability to control the light around him. When he turned his mate, Rhoslyn, she did not have as much of a hard time adjusting as it seemed my mother did. My sister, Isabella, was born with the gift of reading other people's auras. She could tell if a person was genuinely a good or bad person and would help us to steer clear of turning anyone bad. When she met her mate, Everard, he was one of the purest auras she'd ever come across. She told him what she was and then turned him. I was born with the gift to bestow gifts, something nobody else has ever been gifted as far as I'm aware."

"Wait," Blaine interrupted. "So, you're one of the oldest vampires alive?"

Josiah smiled, "That I am, Blaine. Only three are older than me, my father, mother, and brother."

"Hold up," Elliot said. "Your gift is power bestowal?"

"Yes, it is," Josiah replied with a smile.

"So, does that mean we have gifts?" Elliot asked, infinitely more excited about that prospect than the idea of having been turned.

"You both do, yes," Josiah answered. "I need to explain a little bit more before I tell you what they are, though. Is that alright?"

Both Elliot and Blaine nodded in agreement, curious to hear not only the rest of the story but also learn what their gifts were.

"My brother and his mate had several children, seven total, I believe. They all have the thrall ability; that's what the ability to put people into a trance has been named, but they have no other abilities. All of them have turned or mated with others over the years, but only when they find their mate. It has been important ever since we learned about what we were that we only turn our mate and from there have children. We have never wanted to take over the world or anything like that. We need humans to survive and have no want to enslave them or completely overtake them. In fact, we have an oath." The doctor stopped, looking at the two boys. "I'm going to say it for you now, and in a few days, when you understand everything fully, you can take the oath as well." He cleared his throat.

" _Though we are different,  
we vow to protect  
those who among us  
are small and weak yet._

_The dangers that lurk  
in the shadows are many.  
But we, the guardians of shadows,  
will shelter the cities._

_In service to those  
that we need the most,  
we'll forever uphold  
and keep strong at our post."_

Blaine and Elliot gazed at the doctor with wide eyes. "That is so cool!" Elliot finally cheered, making the doctor smile. "I can't wait to take the oath!"

"In time, son. In time," Josiah said. Then, he returned to his story. "My sister and her husband never wanted children. They loved their time together and were so in love, they didn't really have time for anyone else to share that love with."

"What about you?" Blaine interrupted, curious about his maker.

"I haven't found my mate yet," Josiah said sadly. "I thought, once, that I had. About 100 years ago, I came across a man named Adrian. He must have sensed, somehow, that I was different and took quite a liking to me. Even though our relationship would have been frowned upon in society, my family knew that mates were mates, regardless of gender. My sister, though, told me he had a very dark aura and should not be turned or trusted. Our father left it up to me. I thought he was my mate, so I turned him; it was the worst decision I've ever made."

The doctor had to take a few moments to gather his thoughts before continuing his story. "Adrian turned out to be a monster as a vampire. The gift I bestowed upon him was power negation, meaning that when he met any vampire with a power, he could cancel it out. You see, my power enhances a power already inside of you. So, for him, he already knew how to play people and cancel them out. Therefore, that became his gift. It wasn't intentional on my part, per se. Since he was the first person I had turned, I didn't really have an idea of how it would work with my gift, and I guess I latched on to the biggest ability he already had. He became volatile and power-hungry, trying to talk my father and siblings into enslaving the humans, decimating villages along the way. In the end, we had to kill him, and it was only through trial and error that we were able to do so. Our skin is very thick, and it is hard to penetrate. We tried to pierce him with various objects, but nothing worked, even when it did break the skin."

"So, how did he die then?" Elliot asked.

"We, my brother, brother-in-law, father, and I, had to tear his limbs off and burn them," Josiah painfully answered. "The burning came as an afterthought, when the pieces of his body started to, almost magnetically, pull themselves back together. After he was burned, though, he was gone. Besides my sister, her mate, and Adrian, there has only been one other of our kind to die, and that was by renouncing their immortality. My niece, Edith, lost her mate before she was able to turn him. Her loss was so much that she simply uttered the Rite, as it's come to be called, and then died peacefully. The Rite is a saying that my father inherently knew when the time came that he needed it. It basically says that one does not wish to continue into immortality without their mate, knowing that in every lifetime, we only have one. He was able to relay it to my niece to repeat in order to stay with her love and not have to live a day longer without him."

"I don't want to do that," Blaine said, somewhat to himself.

"I don't want you to do that," both Josiah and Elliot said at the same time.

"That's why I told you the story about my sister," Josiah said. "Your mate is still with you. That tether you feel is proof enough. Your story isn't over."

"I need you, my brother," Elliot said. "Just like you can't do this without me, I can't do it without you."

Blaine nodded. "I'm not going anywhere." After taking a short pause, he asked Josiah, "Could you tell us about our gifts?"

Josiah smiled. "Elliot, you have a way of talking to people. It would seem, if your ability to read the names of the books on the shelves over there has anything to say, that you can now speak, read, and understand any language."

"I was reading? But, I never learned how to read," Elliot said incredulously.

Josiah got up and grabbed a book from the shelf. He walked back over and handed it to Elliot. "What does this say?"

" _Historia Lettica_ ," Elliot stated in perfect Latvian. Then, his eyes grew wide. "That's amazing!"

"Blaine," Josiah said after he chuckled at Elliot as he read through the pages of the book he had been handed. "Your gift seems to be tied to your senses. It would seem that you can sense things happening before they actually do."

"That's pretty amazing," Blaine said. "Thank you for saving us."

"You're welcome," Josiah replied. "I am thankful that I was able to talk to my brother and father and tell him about the two, well three, of you. After my failed attempt with Adrian, I was all but forbidden to turn anyone, including my mate should I ever find them. However, my family has been watching the two of you for the last few years, making sure that you would be worthy of the gift should I ever need to change you. They all agreed that, should a life or death situation happen, I was permitted to change one or both of you before you turned 25."

"So," Blaine asked after several moments of reflection, "what do we do now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A huge thank you to teddyshoney for her help with the Oath!!!


	9. Preparations

"I have consulted with the All-Knowing, and this is how this life is supposed to be. It will only help to strengthen your bond in the long run," the man behind the podium told Kurt when he finally opened his eyes from his meditative state.

"For how long?" Kurt asked with tears in his eyes. He had just gotten Blaine back when he'd had to leave. Not only could he remember every life before this one, but he remembered everything that had happened since the last time they had left this place. "You told us that a kiss was the way to seal our bond, and now we're separated?"

"The kiss did seal the bond," the man stated. "Surely, you can still feel it? Blaine can."

"How do you know he can?" Kurt asked. He wanted to know about Blaine; the bond could wait.

"I can see all who are under my care," the man said.

Kurt thought about that for a minute. There was too much to process right then. "Is there any way that I can watch him, too?"

The man closed his eyes for several moments. If Kurt hadn't known better, he would have thought the man had fallen asleep. He now assumed that he was consulting with whoever the "All-Knowing" was. _Depending on how long I'm stuck here, I may want to find out more about this guy and what his purpose is._

"The All-Knowing has agreed that you may also watch Blaine's time without you—" the man began.

"Really?!" Kurt exclaimed, cutting him off.

The man raised his hand to silence Kurt. "There's a stipulation," he stated. At Kurt's nod, he continued, "Once it is time for you to return to him, and you _will_ return to him, you won't have any memory of anything you see. You won't have the memory of your past lives either, but that isn't anything new. If you choose not to watch him, you will be able to retain the memories during your time apart."

"How long?" Kurt asked, knowing that that information, if he was granted it, would have an impact on his decision.

"I am not at liberty to tell you," the man said. "It could be a day, a month, a year, or a century. That is not information I am privileged to have at the moment."

Kurt took a deep breath, weighing his options, looking at the glow around him. He guessed that maybe he would be able to feel little bits and pieces of Blaine through their bond, but he wasn't sure he wanted to rely on that feeling alone. "I think that I'd like to watch," he decided. "In every lifetime we've lived thus far, we've fallen in love without any memory of the previous lives. That first one was a little weird, but it wasn't memories so much as premonitions maybe? Anyway, if there is a possibility that I will have to live a hundred years or more without him, I don't think I would do very well not knowing how he's been."

The man smiled. "I wondered if that would be your answer." He waved his hand, and a screen appeared out of thin air. On it, he saw his love with two other people, one on a cot beside him and the other watching over them both. The man talked with Kurt while they watched the screen, and he explained to Kurt that time didn't really pass in The Unknown. Kurt wouldn't need to sleep, eat, or use the bathroom while he was here, nor would he age. Kurt had entered The Unknown at the same age he and Blaine always did, and when he went back into the world, he would start life over again, just like he always did. 

"What can I call you?" Kurt asked before Blaine awoke. He wasn't quite sure what his soulmate was going to awake as, though he had a pretty good idea from all of the cheesy movies he had seen in other lives. The man who had changed him, though, didn't look like Kurt had thought he would. He knew he'd just have to wait and see how everything panned out.

"My name is Caphriel," the man said. "I am the Angel of the Infinites."

"It's nice to officially meet you, Caphriel," Kurt said with a smile and then gasped at the screen when he saw Blaine begin to wake. He watched as Josiah explained what they were and when he mentioned another with a tether, Kurt looked to Caphriel questioningly.

"I cannot tell you about that," Caphriel stated. "It is not part of your journey."

Kurt nodded, realizing that if Caphriel were the Angel of the Infinites, there were likely more like he and Blaine out there. _I wonder if I will meet any of them in my stay here, however long that might be?_ Instead of thinking about the possibilities, Kurt continued to watch and learn about how his soulmate ultimately became a vampire.

* * *

"Now," Josiah explained, "we need to come up with a plan. I hadn't ever planned on making more fledglings and could still pass around these parts for the next one to two years at least."

"Pass?" Elliot asked.

"I move around a lot, every 13 years before people start to question my age," Josiah stated. "I came here right around the time you both started shining shoes. So, with the state of the city, I'd say we could leave now while it's chaotic. Or, we could wait a few years."

"I have nothing left for me here," Blaine said sadly.

"Neither do I," Elliot replied.

"Here's what I want you both to do," Josiah stated as a plan started forming in his mind. "I want you both to go to your homes and get whatever it is you want to take with you. I'm not sure what you have, but we'll manage to take it, regardless of what it is. Then, meet back here before the sun rises. That's very important. Your eyes won't adjust to light for several days if you'll remember my father's story. We will need to travel when it's dark."

"Where will we go?" Blaine asked.

"How do you guys feel about Paris?" Josiah asked.

Elliot and Blaine looked at each other and smiled. Their dream was coming true.

As Blaine went to his home to see if there was anything else he wanted, he couldn't help but think that the only thing that would have made his life perfect right now was if Kurt was there, physically there with him. He took comfort in the tether, knowing that at some point, his love would come back to him.

When he arrived at his house, he looked at the place with new eyes. There was an unseen mold that was surely killing them all slowly. There were bugs and rat droppings under the beds and in the corners. He was almost glad his mom wasn't alive. He knew if she would have been, whatever was killing everyone would have surely killed her. Then, he would have had to experience her loss along with everyone else's.

Blaine looked through his father's and brother's possessions. With his father's things, he found a pocket watch. It was nothing fancy, but it was something that his dad had told him his grandfather had scrimped and saved to buy for him when he married Blaine's mother. His brother had a hat and scarf that his mother had made him for when the elements were cold enough to warrant them. They still smelled of his brother, and while Cooper may not have always been the warmest person in the world, the night he took care of Blaine's back after his whipping showed him that his brother had cared for him. In the small box of what was left of his mother's things, he noticed a necklace. He searched his mind and couldn't remember her ever wearing it, but if his father had kept it, he knew it must have been special. _Hmm...it looks like the one described in Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ , Blaine thought briefly.

After gathering the items from his home, he took one last look at the place and said goodbye to his family. Before he went back to Josiah's, he took the time to go by Kurt's home, hoping that his family was spending their mourning time at Beatrice's. Whether they were at Beatrice's or still in the countryside, Blaine soon realized that the house was empty. He was able to sneak in without anyone noticing him.

In Kurt's room, Blaine was overwhelmed with his soulmate's scent. He could still smell remnants of their time together nights before and wondered if Kurt had changed the sheets after they had made love. _Focus, Blaine_ , he thought to himself. Surveying the room, Blaine noticed a loose floorboard in Kurt's room, much like the one Josiah had found at Beatrice's house. He gently pried it up and found several books hidden beneath it. Since Blaine still struggled to read, and everything he found was written in cursive, he had no way of telling what they were. He did know, however, that they were important or they would not have been hidden. Blaine gathered them all, six in total, and stored them with the belongings from his house. He looked in Kurt's wardrobe and found a satchel of sorts that he was able to carry the books in. He didn't want them to get damaged in any way. _Someday, I'll give these back to you, my love_ , he thought. _Maybe they could be what motivates me to fully learn to read?_

Blaine would have loved to take everything with him. He knew that would look suspicious, though, and opted to take just one more thing. His nose drew him to where Kurt's scent was the strongest: his bed. He removed a pillowcase and put it in the satchel with the books. Blaine had remembered seeing a closet in the hallway and wondered if it might be a linen closet. He checked, and sure enough, it was. He replaced the pillowcase and prepared to leave the room. He didn't want the Hummel's to go through any more grief than they already had, and worry about their home being robbed was not something he wanted to cause.

When he had the room back in order, Blaine grabbed all of his things and made his way back to Josiah's, moving in the shadows so as not to be seen by a soul. In the time he had been gone, most of the doctor's house had been packed up, and the carriages had been called to be ready the following night. Blaine noticed that Elliot didn't have much with him, only a few clothes. When Elliot felt Blaine's gaze on him, he spoke.

"You're really all I have left, Blaine," Elliot said. "I went by the jail where my brother was supposed to be held and couldn't find him; his scent was faint. So, he's either died or been moved. I suspect the former."

Blaine went over and hugged his friend. "I'm so sorry, Elliot." Blaine knew that hugging wasn't socially acceptable, especially between men, but something about it felt right. Something about hugging his friend and giving him comfort felt so innately right that he just went with the feeling. When Elliot hugged him back, he knew had made the right decision.

“Boys,” Josiah said moments later, “we will be leaving at sun fall. You both need to feed from me and then try to sleep. You will both feed from me for a week, and then, we will begin to transition to humans. This will help build our bond as sire and fledgling, but it will also help to stabilize your change to completion. The jars will be used only if needed. I’d rather you both be able to feed the old fashioned way, so to speak.” Both boys nodded in agreement with his explanation.

"I don't feel hungry right now, though," Blaine stated. "My throat doesn't burn like it did when I woke up. Is that how I will know that I'm hungry? Sort of like how my stomach ached when I was hungry before?"

"I don't feel hungry either," Elliot agreed.

"Yes, Blaine. That is how you will recognize hunger from now on. I'd rather you not let your hunger get too bad right now, which is why I asked so soon. For the first few days, it will be important for you both to tell me when your throat starts to burn so I can help you. If it gets too bad, the pain I mean, it means that you have gone too long between feedings and risk going into a feral state. I have seen it once where this happened, and it took several of us to get the fledgling under control again," Josiah explained. "If neither of you is hungry right now, I can come back in a couple more hours before the sun rises," Josiah answered them. "It will be easier for you to both sleep while the sun is up until your bodies adjust to the changes."

"Is there anything down here we can help with until it is time to feed and then sleep?" Blaine asked.

"I will have some trunks brought down," Josiah replied. "If you could load up everything you can, besides the jars since I have a special trunk for those, I would appreciate it. By the time you're done, it should be time to feed you both and then you'll need to rest. While we don't need as much sleep as humans, we still do need to sleep. And, the two of you will need more sleep than me."

"For how long?" Elliot asked.

"About as long as it takes for you to tolerate the sun," Josiah answered with a smile.

"Thanks, Josiah," Blaine said, "for everything. You've given us this amazing gift, and what could have been a very short life has turned into an adventure. I can sense great things for all of us."

"You're welcome, Blaine," Josiah said and then headed upstairs.

"Blaine," Elliot said once Josiah was out of the darkened room, "I'm so sorry about Kurt. I know I never got to know him, but I know how much he meant to you."

"Thank you," Blaine said with a sigh. "I can still feel him, so it's not as bad as it could be, I suppose. And, I went to his house and got a couple of things that I hope will help when I need them to."

"What did you get, if I may ask?" Elliot inquired.

Blaine showed him the items he had gathered from Kurt's home.

"I could help you learn how to read more fluently if you'd like. I am not going to go through these any more than the small glance I had at the one, though. They seem to be personal diaries that Kurt kept, and I don't feel right reading them."

"You'd really help me learn to read? Fully be able to read anything and not just the same book I've been reading for the last few years?" Blaine asked.

"We really have nothing but time on our hands," Elliot joked.

The boys filled the trunks with the contents of the room they were in, and then, Elliot sat down and began teaching Blaine how to read out of _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_. He figured it was a book that Blaine knew inside and out, and now, he could put together what the words looked like as well as how they sounded. Blaine had told him that while he knew some of the words his mother told him and that she had recited the story to him multiple times, she didn't recite it word for word. He could tell because some of the words he read he knew weren't right, and he would have to skip over them until he came to something similar. Blaine was excited to learn to read something other than this book, sure, but he was also excited to learn every single word of his favorite story. It was another way he would feel connected to Kurt for however long it took for them to be reunited.

" _Blaine stood with his back pressed against the solid wood of his wardrobe. He tried to quiet his breathing and heartbeat as he strained to hear what was going on outside of his room._ _He could hear the sounds of swords clashing as his father's knights fought against the invading cavalry. He wondered where his father, mother, and older brother were. He wished he could be with them, but it was too risky to try to leave the safety of his wardrobe. His father had told him to hide, so he was going to be a good boy and follow directions._ "

Elliot continued to teach Blaine the words of the story he knew by heart and broke down the sounds of each letter until Josiah came back to the room to feed them. First, he readied a jar for when they were done to replenish his blood but also just in case a situation like that morning happened again. The second feeding was much easier on all three men. After Blaine and Elliot had had their fill, they both went to the cots they had been turned on and instantly fell asleep.

"Rest well, my boys," Josiah whispered. "Tonight, we begin our new adventure."


	10. On the Road to Paris

When Elliot and Blaine woke up that night, they felt well-rested and just a little hungry. Blaine took a moment to gather his bearings and remember everything that had happened. He felt for the tether and smiled; even though he knew that Kurt wasn't physically there with him anymore, he was comforted that he could still feel him close by. That along with the sense that someday he would see Kurt again made it so he could face the night and journey ahead of them.

Josiah must have been listening for them to wake up because no sooner did the boys stand than he was in the room. "How are you both feeling?"

"I'm feeling wonderful other than maybe a little hungry," Blaine answered, noticing the slight burn in his throat.

"I'm hungry as well," Elliot replied.

"Blaine," Josiah asked, "would you get me a jar, please? It's ideal for you both to feed from me a little longer, as you know, and I'm fairly sure that you're both better under control of your urges than the first time you fed. However, I don't want to be unprepared and need it."

"We understand," Elliot replied, still feeling a little sheepish about his behavior after his first feeding. "Does everyone have this much control this soon after they are turned?" It was something that had been on his mind after they heard the story about the first vampires.

"That, my son, is a very good question," Josiah said. He didn't miss the look of longing and admiration that Elliot gave him after he called him "son." Josiah knew that it might take Blaine longer to look at him like that, but he hoped that, someday, the other boy would allow him to be a father figure to him as well. "I want you both to eat your fill, but one at a time this time. After we are on our way, I will tell you more about our kind and answer any questions you might come up with."

Blaine offered to let Elliot go first. As he watched Elliot feed, he almost felt like he was intruding on something private. Not in the sense that he was peeping on something he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but hope that maybe this was how his mother had looked while feeding him after he was born. It was a beautiful thing to watch, and he could tell the love that Josiah had for Elliot by the way he looked at him and whispered encouragements to him in a voice so soft that even Blaine's enhanced hearing was struggling to make out what he said.

When Elliot was done eating, he licked over the wound to seal it, not that he needed to since Josiah's skin healed almost instantly, and kissed the spot on his wrist that he had fed from. The motions were reverent, nothing sexual or intimate like the kisses Blaine had shared with Kurt. It was more of a "thank you" kiss than an "I love you" kiss. Josiah opened the jar and drank half of its contents before putting the lid back on and turning toward Blaine, signaling that it was now his turn.

Blaine approached Josiah and was offered the other wrist, the one that Elliot hadn't fed from. He gently ran his thumb over the vein he knew he would feed from then bent down and sunk his fangs into the flesh. It was in the moment that Josiah's blood hit Blaine's mouth that he knew if he were ever to have the chance to feed from Kurt, it would be the most intense moment of his life. Josiah didn't talk to Blaine like he did with Elliot, and Blaine got the sense that Josiah knew it wouldn't be wanted right now. He knew that Blaine was still grieving the loss of his father, brother, and lover. Josiah knew that he needed to take it slow, that there would be time to forge the sire/fledgling, father/son bond with Blaine later. He did, however, place his hand on the back of Blaine's head and gently stroke his hair. Blaine appreciated the contact and gentle touches from his sire.

Once Blaine felt full, he repeated the motions that Elliot had done and licked the wound to seal it then kissed Josiah's wrist. Right after the kiss, Blaine felt something from the tether. It didn't loosen or change, but he felt something. It almost felt like a question, like Kurt trying to understand his motive in kissing Josiah. Blaine closed his eyes and sent reassuring thoughts and feelings through it, letting Kurt know without words that he was thanking Josiah for keeping him alive and well and that Kurt was the only man he would ever love. Immediately after the feelings were sent, the tether warmed, and Blaine knew that the message was received. That made Blaine wonder if Kurt was watching him from wherever he was. It was a thought that passed as quickly as it came. He knew that his frayed emotions from everything that had happened in the last few days couldn't handle thinking about this information right now, so he moved it to the back of his mind and decided he would think about it later.

As soon as Blaine was calm, he opened his eyes just as Josiah was finished drinking the remaining contents of the jar. Josiah looked at him questioningly. "I'll tell you more sometime later as I'm still not sure I understand it all myself," Blaine offered, and Josiah nodded his head. Maybe talking about it with Josiah would help. He might have some idea of what was happening.

The group helped load the remainder of the trunks into the carriages and then headed out of London toward Paris. Blaine, Elliot, and Josiah each had a little bag of things that rode next to them inside the carriage instead of on top of and behind them like the rest of their belongings.

"Can I ask a question before we get too far out of town and we get so wrapped up in talking about other things I forget?" Blaine asked as they went by the square where the boys shined shoes daily.

"Of course, Blaine," Josiah replied. "You can always ask me anything, and if I don't have the answer, I will do my best to find it out for you."

"What did you do about your job here? And, what is our plan once we get to Paris?"

"Today, while you and Elliot slept," Josiah explained, "I went by the hospital and told them that I had urgent family business to attend to, that I needed to leave immediately, and that I would not be back. For the past six months, I have been giving hints that I had a nephew that was very ill, and when the news came, I would likely have to leave suddenly. As I explained briefly to you both, I move every 13 years. That's about how long I can pass for given my looks, given that I say I'm about 20 when I begin somewhere new. Plus, by the time I revisit some places, everyone that I knew when I was there before has passed on. But back on track, the hospital had known that I would be leaving; it was just a question of when. As for what we're going to do when we get to Paris, my family has homes all over the world that we rotate between. My nephew and his family have recently vacated the house in Paris and moved on to our home in Bordeaux. Each time a new member of the family is born or turned, we add them to the rotation, adding houses if need be."

"That seems like quite the system you guys have worked out," Elliot stated. "It must have taken a lot of planning to get perfected."

"It did," Josiah laughed. "There was a year that we all spent together in one of the larger homes and planned it out. We made a list of all of the places we'd like to live and decided who would 'follow' who. Some of the family didn't want to live this way, so they are out on their own so to speak. But we check in with each other frequently, either by writing letters or visiting. There really aren't that many of us out there, and that's the way we'd like to keep it. It's never been our intentions to take over or anything like that. If, by chance, one of us went rogue, it would be up to the family as a whole to put an end to it. Nothing we do is left up to one person, with the exception of mates. Our mates are not something anyone can interfere with."

"Does every vampire have a mate?" Elliot asked.

"So far, everyone of age except me has found their mate," Josiah answered. Thinking about mates always led him to thinking about Adrian, and that was not something he liked to think about at all. He'd learned how to read people better after the time he spent with Adrian, and he was now aware of the internal nervous system alerts his body put out when someone was not trustworthy.

"Can I ask you something that I am wondering if it might have something to do with Adrian?" Blaine asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Josiah responded.

"You can choose not to answer it, but I was just wondering about the poem that both Elliot and I were read as kids, and the oath you told us yesterday," Blaine asked.

Josiah had a feeling he knew where this was heading and nodded his head for Blaine to continue.

"Well," Blaine started, "it seems like they tell very opposite stories. One about creatures wanting to attack you in the night and the other one of protection. I guess, I'm wondering if Adrian has anything to do with that, or if someone else has gone 'rogue' as you called it."

Josiah took a deep breath. He'd known that he would have to talk about this at some point; he had just hoped it wouldn't be until later. However, he was also glad that it would happen now so that the boys could think before they took the oath in a few days time. With turned vampires, it was always customary to allow them time to adjust to the turning and lifestyle and not ask them to take the oath until it was time to feed from someone other than their sires. "The poem is about Adrian and the destruction that he caused. What I didn't tell you in our little history lesson was that he terrorized Dublin, the town we were living in at the time. Not only could he negate our powers, he could render humans motionless, negating anything they could do, practically paralyzing them. They couldn't speak, move, or feel anything when he used his powers on them. After we were finally able to eliminate him, word spread far and wide of the carnage and destruction he'd caused. It is why we have been so careful to blend into society and take the extra precautions we do when we feed from others. It is something you both will have to think about before you feed for the first time on someone other than me."

"Could you tell us more about mates?" Elliot asked after a few moments of silence. He was more than ready to change the subject from the darkness that was Adrian.

"Of course," Josiah answered. "My father believes that when the time is right, Fate will put your mate in your path, and you will be able to live out life together. Most of the members of my family have met their mates fairly young. The exception, besides myself and some of the younger members, is my nephew, Charles. He didn't meet his mate until he was 45. On the other end of the spectrum, my niece, Sabine, met her mate, Penelope, when she was 15."

"Did Sabine turn her at that time?" Blaine asked.

"No," Josiah replied. "She didn't. I explained a little bit about all of this earlier, but I didn't go into too much detail because I didn't want to overwhelm you. This is a lot of information I've thrown at you, so anytime you have questions, either of you, please ask them. Because of that, I'm going to recap some and then tell you everything about our rules for turning mates." Both Elliot and Blaine nodded, eager to learn all they could and thankful that they had such a kind and patient teacher.

"My father learned after turning my mother that once he turned someone, they stopped aging at the moment they were turned," Josiah stated. "He also learned, because of my siblings and me, that we stopped aging at 25 years old, the same age he came into his powers. Because of what he knew, not only about vampires and the turning process but also in regards to raising children, he made it illegal to turn anyone under the age of 25 without special permission from himself, me, and my brother, typically. The two of you were special cases that had to be approved by my mother, father, and brother before they allowed me to turn you. My mother took my place in the decision-making process this time since it was me who wanted to turn the both of you." Josiah stopped for a moment, giving Blaine and Elliot a chance to ask any questions should they have any. When they didn't, he continued.

"Originally, the plan was to wait until you were 25 and then ask if you wanted to be turned; Kurt, too," Josiah explained. "We could see the bond that you two shared before the tether was fully formed. We saw so much of my sister and Everard in the two of you, and we wanted to offer you as long as possible with each other. I digress. The point is, turning anyone, especially under the age of 20, can be very dangerous. What do most kids do when they don't get something they want? They throw a fit. Can you imagine never growing out of that? That's what would happen if a child was turned. It's not something my family ever wants to happen, because when a vampire can't control themselves, they end up like Adrian. I don't ever want to do that to a child, no matter how drawn I am to them to save them from whatever fate they might meet. That is why my mother, father, and brother all watched for a while, to make sure that you were mature enough to handle being turned early if needed and that you would fit in with the family afterward, even if we would have waited until you were 25."

"Was it hard for Sabine to live those 10 years without her mate?" Elliot asked when there was a lull in the conversation. It wasn't that he didn't like to hear about their history, he was just very curious for some reason about Sabine and Penelope.

"It wasn't hard for them," Josiah answered with a smile. "They were best friends during the time they were unmated and were basically inseparable. Their friendship reminds me a lot of yours and Blaine's to be honest. They complimented each other in everything they did. When Penelope turned 25, Sabine told her about what she was and asked her to join her in immortality. They mated that night, and Sabine turned her after they mated."

"I hope that I can have that someday," Elliot whispered.

"You will," Blaine told him. "We all will. I can sense it. I don't know when or how or with whom, but we all will."

Josiah looked hopeful about the prospect of finding his mate, and for the first time since Adrian was turned, he was able to think about his mate with a smile on his face. "Now, Elliot. I do believe you asked me a question before we left the house about 'control'?"

"Yes," Elliot said. "It seems like, I don't know, that we should be more out of control and blood-hungry for lack of a better term. Why aren't we?"

"Everything we've learned about ourselves, we've had to learn on our own," Josiah explained. "As far as we know, my father was the first of his kind anywhere and in all of our time since, we've never met any other vampires that haven't been in our family. So, naturally, there have been some things that have gone poorly that we've had to make adjustments for if the situation were to be repeated. For example, turned vampires have to feed from their sire until their eyes can tolerate the sun. This is because, after my brother turned his mate, Rhoslyn, he only had her feed from him twice. She seemed to have adjusted well, but then, she lost control when she tried to feed from her first human and nearly killed them. Percival guided Rhoslyn to feed from him which was able to bring her back under some semblance of control. He then had to compel the human and give him some of his blood to help him heal. Once he was stable, Percival and Rhoslyn returned home and sent letters out to the family to let them know what had happened."

"When did you start using the jars as supplements?" Blaine asked. "It's quite genius if you ask me."

"That little discovery goes, again, to my brother," Josiah replied. "Percival and Rhoslyn have seven children, as I've already told you. First, they had two boys, and then, they had twin girls. Then, a boy, a girl, and lastly, another boy. When the twins were born, it seemed like they were draining Rhoslyn faster than she could replenish her blood supply. Vampire babies need to feed from their mother for at least the first four to five years of their lives and at least three to four times per day. Not only does this help strengthen their bond, but it also gives them the essential vitamins and nutrients they need to grow. Plus, they can't really control their feedings before then. It really is extraordinary how quickly vampire children gain control." Josiah stopped for a brief moment and smiled at the thoughts of his nieces and nephews and how much like little adults they could be at that transitioning age.

"It wasn't until my nephew, John, and his mate, Matthew, had their first child that we discovered that either parent could supply the blood. I digress, again. My brother had been allowing Rhoslyn to feed off of him from time to time to replenish her supply when she was too tired from keeping up with the girls to get her own meal. I was visiting one day, and I had seen how tired Rhoslyn was. She was hardly able to keep up with the feedings, so the girls were needing to eat more than they should have been because they weren't getting everything they needed when they did feed. Percival had his hands full with the two older boys, and I'm not entirely sure he saw how much she was declining, even with him supplementing her usual meals with his own blood. I knew that if I didn't help her, she would fade away." Josiah stopped for a moment, knowing that they had been talking for quite some time. He didn't want to chance getting stuck in the carriage too close to the sun. The curtains were dark, but they would not do a very good job of keeping the sun out; he was not about to have his fledglings harmed by something so preventable.

"Hold on a moment." Josiah looked outside and noted that they had about another hour or so until they would need to stop. He called out to the driver to remind him of the time and asked that they stop at the next inn they came across. After he got resettled in his seat, he finished the story about his sister-in-law.

"Sorry about that," Josiah said. "I just don't want you boys in pain from the sun if we can prevent it."

"Thank you," Blaine said. "You're a really great guardian."

"I've felt drawn to you boys since the moment I met you," Josiah said. "It's my honor and pleasure to have you both in my life. Now, back to Rhoslyn. I think I can finish the story before we have to stop." Josiah took a moment to remember what the last thing they talked about was. Once he'd recalled his place, he continued on. "I knew that I had to do something to keep up with the supply the twins were taking from her. Both of the boys were able to feed from humans by that point, and they had several servants that they would rotate between for the feedings. I suggested to my brother that he go and find two people in town, compel them to follow him, and bring them back to their home. After that was done, I performed a medical procedure where I took some of their blood, no more than what would be taken during a normal feeding, and placed it in a container. I sealed up the wound, and my brother compensated them with money before taking them back to where he had found them. We always, always take care of anyone we feed from. Without them, we would not be able to exist, so we treat them with care and compassion. This same thing, getting two people, collecting blood from them, and then sending them on their way, continued for the length of my stay, which ended up being until the twins were old enough to feed on their own. We learned how much Rhosyln needed to be able to function adequately while still providing the girls with what they needed from her. Those were some of the happiest years of my life. I loved being able to watch them grow, mature, and learn. It was also special for me to spend time with my nephews and teach them all that I could."

"It seems like there is so much for us to learn, and it doesn't feel like we have even touched the surface," Blaine said.

"There is a lot," Josiah replied. "We have a long journey to reach Paris, and we'll talk about anything you want to. Between only being able to travel at night and then crossing the water, our trip could take up to 10 days."

Their journey to Paris was uneventful. They talked and learned all that they could about each other. Blaine and Elliot absorbed every word that Josiah told them about their newfound family and asked questions when they had them. True to his word, if Josiah didn't have the answer, he would write it down and send a letter to his family when they stopped. When they finally arrived at the Paris house, both Blaine and Elliot felt different. They felt like they had yet another second chance at life, and they were very excited to see where the beginning of this journey would take them.

* * *

"So, they didn't have a guide or anyone to help them?" Kurt asked Caphriel.

"Who would they have learned from?" Caphriel asked. "They really were the first of their kind. Nothing seems too bad though, does it?"

"No," Kurt replied. "I guess not. It's still sad, having to go through life and not understand what you are and how to control it."

"Has that never happened to you?" Caphriel asked, knowingly leading Kurt toward one of his lives.

"Not that I can think of, but that doesn't mean it never will," Kurt replied. "I can almost see how it would correlate to being gay and not understanding why you feel and think the way you do when everyone else around you appears to be thinking and feeling differently. I love how the Edwards family figured everything out together and didn't leave anyone to fend for themselves. Sort of how my dad was always there for me, no matter what. When Blaine and I could write all over each other's skin, my dad never left my side, and he always helped me figure things out. Even when I tried to hide things from him, he was there for me."

"The All-Knowing puts the people you need in your life when you need them," Caphriel stated. "Those people might be there to help you learn something, they might be there for you to teach, or they might be there for you to love or befriend. Only the All-Knowing knows what their purpose is, but they all have a purpose."

"Blaine and I..." Kurt said with a smile. "Our love is going to help a lot of people, isn't it? Not only in this reality, but in every reality we've lived in or will ever live in."

Caphriel just smiled and looked back at his book, not answering Kurt.

_Yeah_ , Kurt thought. _Our love is going to change the world._


	11. Paris Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. The last couple of weeks have been a little insane in my life and writing wasn't high on the priority list. I am also going to try to keep up with posting a chapter per week, but again, I'm not sure if I will be able to keep that up right now. This story will NOT be abandoned by any means. I have it all laid out and promise to finish it, it just might take me a little bit. Thank you, as always, to my wonderful beta and friend teddyshoney for editing and cheering me on. Also, thank you to anyone reading this story. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

The trio finally settled into the house just as soon as the sun was coming up. Thankfully, Elliot and Blaine had become accustomed to the sun during the trip to Paris and were now getting their meals from people.

_On their 8th night of travel, Josiah deemed them ready to try and feed from a human instead of him. They had both shown remarkable growth and control and, truth be told, could have started this part of their lives sooner. Josiah loved the connection he had with both boys and knew the only time from here on out that they would have to feed from him was if they would go too long between feedings or became diseased in some way._

_"I want you to try to feed on your own tonight," he said to them after they had stopped at an inn along the road. "You're both ready, and this is something I'd rather you learn on the road instead of in Paris. I want to teach you how to make sure the source of your meal isn't diseased and oversee to make sure that you are able to stop on your own. But, before any of that can happen, you will both need to recite the oath if the words you will speak are something you agree to."_

_"What happens if we don't agree?" Blaine asked, not because he didn't agree to it, but because he was curious._

_"Then, you would meet the same fate as Adrian did," Josiah replied. "And, I'm not sure I could live through that but will if you cannot or will not agree."_

_"I wholeheartedly agree with the oath, Josiah," Blaine said, hoping his words put his sire at ease. "I was just curious. You know that is the way I function, knowing the possibilities before I make a final decision."_

_Blaine and Elliot looked at each other and smiled. For some reason that they couldn't explain, they joined hands and recited the oath together._

_"Though we are different,  
we vow to protect  
those who among us  
are small and weak yet._

_The dangers that lurk  
in the shadows are many.  
But we, the guardians of shadows  
will shelter the cities._

_In service to those  
that we need the most,  
we'll forever uphold  
and keep strong at our post."_

_"Thank you, my sons," Josiah said, finally feeling comfortable enough to call them both "son." He knew that by now, Blaine understood he would never try to take the place of his biological father. He kissed both of their foreheads then led them to the local brothel. Not every town they stopped in had one, but he would make sure for the remainder of their journey that where they stopped did. It was the easiest place he knew of to obtain their food discreetly. They would be paying for a service after all. He gave them both some coins and then led them inside._

_Josiah pointed out to them that night how to tell the difference between a human with diseased blood and that of clean blood by smell alone. He also let them know that men were also available, though they were never inside the brothel. Blaine thought about it for a moment before deciding against it, knowing that besides his sire, Kurt would be the only human males he ever drank from, if he was ever allowed that chance. He knew that in a life or death situation, he would do what he needed to do to survive, and luckily for him, this wasn't that kind of situation._

_In the end, each man took a woman to the same room at Josiah's insistence. He trusted his boys but wanted to make sure they could handle the responsibility for the first couple of feedings that weren't from him. They put the women they were with in a trance and then took from them what they needed; then, they sealed the wound back up and made sure the women were comfortable before leaving the brothel and heading back to the inn._

_Josiah had explained to them that if they had regular, daily feedings, they would never need to drain their victims and what to do to make sure this never happened. He told them how to tell when they needed to stop and what to watch for in who they were feeding from as a signal. Josiah also explained that, given the right person, feeding could be a very erotic, intimate experience. Blaine could tell that the other two were holding back their lust while feeding. He hoped that once they were able to feed on their own, his sire and friend would feel more comfortable finding their releases, sensing that they would not in front of Blaine._

Blaine and Elliot settled into vampirism beautifully. Both learned how to hone in their gifts and use them to aid not only themselves but also those closest to them. A couple of years after arriving in Paris, Elliot had sufficiently taught Blaine how to read and write in English as well as read, write, and speak French. He was an excellent teacher and had endless amounts of patience for his friend. It was made easier by the fact that Marie, Blaine's mother, had taught Blaine what she knew and that he had been reading _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ since Kurt had given him the book, even though he never knew all of the words.

Their next language to tackle was Italian, followed by German. Josiah had filled them in on their location rotation one day, and Elliot took it upon himself to make sure both he and Blaine knew all that they could before arriving in foreign places.

By the beginning of their third year in the city, Blaine felt as though they should get jobs. Josiah had told them that they didn't need to work, ever again if they didn't want to, but both boys had always worked for everything they had; it felt wrong to not be working. After they had the language down, they both went in search of employment.

Finding employment wasn't as easy as they thought it would be, and instead, both Elliot and Blaine decided to go to university. Elliot, to nobody's surprise, wanted to study to become a teacher. Blaine, on the other hand, wanted to explore his passion for music.

Blaine excelled in all of his classes and quickly became a favorite among his peers and professors. During his third year at the university, Blaine was asked to tutor by one of his professors.

"My daughter is very entranced by the arts and would love to learn how to play the violin," his professor stated. "You are by far the most talented violinist I have ever seen come through these doors, and I would be honored if you would agree to teach her as she and I don't get along well; I've tried to teach her in the past. I will pay you for your time, of course, and it won't affect our relationship here at all if you choose not to."

"I'd be honored, Sir," Blaine stated. "When and where would you like to start these lessons?"

"Shall we meet at my home on Friday, after classes are done for the day?" the professor asked.

"That should fit nicely in my schedule, but I will have to be back home before dinner with my family," Blaine replied. "It's somewhat of a tradition that we all eat together." Blaine didn't want to have to explain why he wasn't eating if he was at his professor's home during a meal. It wasn't that he _couldn't_ eat regular food or that it would harm him in any way. It was that it all tasted like dirt, and he had yet to perfect his gag reflex.

"Thank you, Blaine," the professor said. "Getting you home by mealtime should not be a problem at all. It's somewhat of a sacred time in our household as well, especially on Friday nights."

"What is your daughter's name?" Blaine asked.

"Her name is Quinn," Professor Fabray replied. "She's 19 and quite bright for her age, though I will have to warn you she is quite opinionated most of the time. Do you think you're up for the challenge?"

"I am, Sir," Blaine answered, his senses telling him that Quinn would be important to him somehow. Blaine confirmed the location of where to meet and then headed home.

Blaine chose to walk most places, leaving the carriage for the others in the household. It gave him time to think, and most of the time, his thoughts were of Kurt. Every once in a while, he would feel a tug on the tether, and he knew it was Kurt's way of telling him he was still there, that he somehow knew what he was going through, and that things would work themselves out. It was always a welcomed sensation, and it made him smile and look toward the heavens when it happened. He knew that he would see Kurt again someday; it was just a matter of when, and he sensed that day wouldn't be for a long time. So, until then, he was going to make sure his existence didn't go to waste. He wanted to make the most out of the chance he was given until Kurt could be by his side again.

Today was Monday, and he was excited to spend time by himself tonight. Finding a routine that worked for himself, Elliot, and Josiah had been tricky and had taken some playing around with to get just right. They'd found out that doing everything together was not healthy for any of them.

_The tension was high in the house two months after they had arrived in Paris. Josiah had yet to find work because he wanted to make sure his boys settled into their new lives, Elliot had consumed every book in the house at least once, and Blaine was still grieving Kurt, which made his moods volatile, though not aggressive. During the transition to Paris, Blaine spent all of his time and energy on learning about his new life. He didn't have time to grieve properly, and now that he had, his family never knew what kind of mood he was going to be in from one moment to the next. That particular night, Blaine's grief got the best of him, and he blew up._

_"We need some fucking freedom, Josiah," he shouted when his sire proposed another bonding night. "I love you both dearly; I really and truly do. There is only so much of this constant togetherness I can take, however. And, I miss Kurt so much that it hurts to breathe sometimes. The only reason I haven't taken the Rite yet is because I can feel it's not my time, and someday, he will come back to me somehow. And, I'm not sure what taking the Rite would do to our bond if I willingly severed it that way. I can still feel him, which means that he's coming back, right? And if I take the Rite, what if we never find each other again? It's just not a chance I'm willing to take."_

_"I wouldn't want you to give up your immortality," Josiah said. Losing his niece when her mate died because she couldn't live without him was one thing. He knew losing his fledgling would be almost unbearable._

_Elliot had unshed tears in his eyes, and Josiah looked shocked by the outburst. It was Elliot who broke the tension by walking over to Blaine and hugging him tightly, knowing that his brother was in pain but not realizing how deep that pain still was. He was mentally berating himself for not checking in with his friend, his brother, before now about how he was handling losing Kurt so suddenly. A few seconds later, Josiah came and wrapped both of them in a hug and apologized softly. Blaine felt a tug through the tether then, too. This one felt different than the others. This time, it felt like a reassurance that Blaine wasn't alone and that Kurt missed him just as much as Blaine missed him._

_"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered through his tears. "I'm so sorry I yelled. It just hurts, and I don't feel like I've had any time to myself to really grieve properly. We were on the move right after it happened, and then, we both had to learn about this new life we were a part of. I know you want to make sure we're okay, but, Josiah, we won't ever know if we are if you don't let us find out for ourselves."_

_"Blaine," Josiah whispered back, "I'm sorry, too. Tonight, we all need to sit down and make some plans. I don't want to feel like I'm smothering you, and right now, that's sort of what it seems like I'm doing. I'm not allowing you to find out who you're supposed to become. I guess, maybe, I've also been trying to distract you from your grief, which isn't healthy, and I know that. Forgive me?"_

_Blaine hugged Josiah again and whispered in his ear that he was forgiven. That night, they came up with a plan that could meet all of their needs, individually and as a family._

One of Blaine's favorite nights of the week now was Monday because Mondays were his nights out in the city by himself. It was his night alone with his thoughts and the night that he surprisingly felt closest to Kurt.

Before going home, Blaine would walk down the Seine River and watch the other couples around him. After it got dark, he would go find food before returning home. Josiah had shown Blaine and Elliot where the local brothels were, and each of them preferred the same one that wasn't terribly far from their home. After he would have his fill of blood from whatever woman he chose, he would head home and read through Kurt's journal. He had the words memorized by now, but it was part of his routine.

_"_ _My Dearest B,_

_Today was a trying day. Mother would not stop talking about this woman or that one. I swear she is trying to shove them down my throat sometimes. I know that she means well, or at least I hope she does. She wants me to be happy and thinks that happiness will come with Candace or Sarah. How I wish Father were still alive and could deter her for me. It makes me wonder if he never got to tell her about the conversation he and I had on the night we first met. That night, he told me that he was okay with me being a bachelor and never taking a wife. Or, maybe he did, and now that he's gone, she just doesn't think it's valid anymore. I think he knew my disposition, and while he might not have agreed with it, he wasn't going to shun or disown me. He really was the greatest father ever. My mother likely doesn't know or suspect that I take no interest in women, and I could never tell her. It's not that she's a bad mother, but she wouldn't understand. She was raised a gentlelady, and she could never be okay with me not leading the life of a gentleman._

_This time without you is trying, my love. I wish that I could be with you every second of every day, and I hope that soon we will be. I often dream of what that time shall be like, and I hope that you're doing well somewhere in this world. Even if you've left, I have no doubt that we shall find one another again. Until the stars align to make that dream a reality, I send you my love through the wind._

_Kurt_ _"_

Blaine would always chuckle when Kurt talked about his overbearing mother. It was also in those times that he missed his own mother even more, knowing for certain that she would have adored Kurt and been supportive of their relationship. Blaine would only allow himself to read one letter each week before starting over once he had finished them all. After he read his letter, though, he got himself ready for bed and then read a chapter in _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_. He didn't need as much sleep as he did when he was human, but he still required some.

" _'I know. I know it's early. I know we don't know each other very well yet. I know that we have a lot of problems to face and that we have to hide, but I love you. You don't have to say it back. I just-_

_'But I want to,' Blaine interrupted. 'I love you, too, Kurt. And even though we probably shouldn't do this, try to have a relationship, it feels right.'_

_'I know! I feel that way, too. And I—'_

_'Just kiss me,' Blaine interrupted again and pressed his lips against Kurt's. He was feeling bolder now, and their kiss was much more insistent, lips parting, tongues edging for entrance, exploring. Blaine, behaving on instinct, reached up and unclasped the cloak that Kurt was wearing, letting it slip from his shoulders to the ground behind him, his mouth never leaving Kurt's._

_The Prince reached for Blaine's shirt, sliding it up and over his head, their kiss only breaking for a split second before they were back together, tongues clashing as they kissed. Blaine's hat slipped away with his shirt, and Kurt's crown landed on the ground next to the two boys with a soft thud. Kurt pushed Blaine against a tree and his fingers worked at the simple knot in his rope belt._ "

It never failed that when Blaine got to any part of the story where the characters were intimate, he would set the book aside, close his eyes, and imagine the last night he had with Kurt. His hand would find its way to his hard cock, and he would stroke himself to the memories of Kurt's tight heat and his sinful moans. He would imagine Kurt's body underneath his, writhing in pleasure. He would imagine Kurt's hands on his overheated body, gently touching every inch of it. He would imagine the taste of Kurt's mouth and how their tongues danced together perfectly.

It was in those moments, the moments right before and during his release, that the tether would heat up, adding to the ecstasy of his release, almost as if Kurt's hand was covering his own and helping him to achieve that high. Blaine would cum with Kurt's name on his breath and would try to put as much love as he could through their connection. He didn't know if Kurt could feel anything, but he hoped that he knew how much he missed and loved him. When he'd calmed his body back down, Blaine would clean up and then fall asleep.

During one Monday night, Blaine thought about the tether and how it seemed like Kurt could tell what he was feeling. He wondered if Kurt was somehow watching him or if he could just sense him through the tether and could send feelings though it. One night, he asked Josiah about this, but his guesses were as good as Blaine's. It was uncharted territory for both of them. Blaine decided to not try and analyze it too much, just enjoy that he still got to feel his soulmate, his love, in some way.

The rest of the week proceeded like normal. Tuesday nights were his and Elliot's nights together. They would usually walk the town and reminisce about their early shoe-shining days. Oftentimes, they would make predictions about their future, what they hoped would happen, and if there was anywhere new they would like to see that wasn't on their rotation of places to move to. Both agreed that they would like to travel to America at some point, possibly when it was time to settle back down in London again. Neither of them were sure they would ever want to live in London again as it held too many bad memories for them. It was something they knew they would think about and discuss with Josiah when the time was right.

After their meal at the brothel, Blaine and Elliot would head back to the house and sing songs while Blaine played the various instruments he had procured and perfected playing over the last few years. They sang until they heard Josiah come home that night, and then all three headed to bed.

Wednesday nights, Blaine spent time with Josiah. They caught each other up on what had happened since their last outing and talked about Blaine's schooling and Josiah's work at the local hospital. Blaine told Josiah about tutoring and told him about how he sensed that the girl he was to be working with was important to him somehow. Josiah, like always, told Blaine to trust his gift.

The other nights of the week, all three men spent time together, strengthening their bond as a family. Blaine told the others about his tutoring time with Quinn that Friday after they returned home.

"She's a real spitfire," Blaine said. "She almost reminds me of Kurt in how she is against what society tells her to do, preferring to do things that she wants to do."

Josiah chuckled. He was always very impressed with people of high society who didn't want to follow the rules.

"Do you think she'll ever have to come over here for any of your lessons?" Elliot asked.

"Actually," Blaine said, "I wanted to talk to you both about that. After we have gotten to know one another better and she feels comfortable with it, I think I'd like to offer her the option if she wants. Right now, she's just wanting to learn the violin, but she mentioned that she might be open to piano and cello, neither of which she has at her home. While I could take my cello to her home, it's something I'd rather not have to do if I don't have to."

"I don't have a problem with you teaching her here if Elliot doesn't," Josiah answered.

"Not at all," Elliot replied.

Blaine graduated the following year from the university and loved tutoring Quinn so much that he started offering professional lessons on various instruments. He was able to do this out of his home during the daytime hours since Josiah was at the hospital and Elliot was now teaching at the university after having wowed his professors with his aptitude for languages and patience for helping the other students when they were struggling.

Quinn had remained a faithful student and had become a friend to Blaine. She told him one day that her father was pressuring her to get married to any of the rich young men in their social circle but that she was fighting him on it.

"I want to marry for love," Quinn told him one day after their cello lesson.

"Then, you absolutely should fight for that, Quinn," Blaine answered. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

"Are you a poet on the side, too?" Quinn asked with a smile. She knew her friend had a secret lover that he refused to tell her about.

"Not a poet," Blaine said with a bashful smile. "It's just the truth. Love is the greatest adventure any of us will ever have, and we're fools if we don't fight to find it."

Just then, Josiah walked into the house, seemingly exhausted after his day at the hospital. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I—" He stopped mid-thought as he laid eyes on Quinn for the first time, unable to break eye contact until Blaine came up to him and touched his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked his sire.

"Yeah," Josiah replied a little breathless. "I'm sorry to interrupt you and—"

"This is Quinn Fabray," Blaine said, his senses telling him that this was a big moment. "Quinn, this is my cousin, Josiah Edwards." They had agreed that since they looked to be so close in age, Blaine and Elliot would introduce Josiah as their cousin and themselves as brothers.

Josiah walked over toward Quinn. She offered him her hand, equally as entranced with him as he appeared to be with her. When their hands touched, both felt something shift within them. Josiah knew then that he had met his mate.


	12. Paris Part 2

“Caphriel?” Kurt asked as he watched the meeting between Quinn and Josiah unfold in front of him.

“Yes, Kurt?” the figure asked.

“She’s his mate, isn’t she?” Kurt asked.

“She is,” Caphriel answered.

“I’m glad he’s finally found who he was looking for,” Kurt responded. “Nobody deserves to be alone for that long.”

Hearing this made Caphriel’s facial features change minutely before he became more stoic like he always seemed to be.

There was only one thing a look like that could mean. “How long?” Kurt asked. “I won’t remember anything anyway; just tell me how long, please.”

Caphriel closed his eyes. Kurt knew he was conversing with the All-Knowing, likely to find out if this was information he was able to know. When he opened his eyes, the faintest smile appeared on his lips. “Are you sure you want to know?” he asked. “The answer may be hard for you to hear.”

“Please, tell me,” Kurt responded. After hearing the answer, how long he and Blaine would be separated, he almost wished he hadn’t. “So long?” Kurt whispered, not wanting to believe what he had just been told. He couldn’t even fathom what a time period like that would feel like.

“Yes,” Caphriel answered.

Kurt let the number sit with him for a while before bringing up a subject he had been wanting to ask about since Josiah had told Blaine and Elliot about the history of his family. “Can I ask about soulmates in this world?” Kurt asked.

“You can ask me anything, Kurt,” Caphriel responded. “I may not be able to give you all or any of the answers, but you can always ask.”

“From Josiah’s story about his family’s history,” Kurt began, “I got the impression that Isabella and Everard were soulmates. Josiah talked about them having a bond similar to the one Blaine and I do.” Caphriel nodded, so Kurt continued, “Then, one day, they just vanished, and I got the sense that it was when right around the time Blaine was born, since he is younger than me. The way that Josiah was looking at him and the timing of when it happened…am I right?”

“Yes. That is what happened to them,” Caphriel replied. He had an idea where this question was heading and wasn’t going to lead Kurt anywhere.

“Does that mean that, after I rejoin Blaine, we will die when the next soulmates of that reality will be born?” Kurt asked.

“In that reality, that’s how it works,” Caphriel answered. “Only one set of soulmates are allowed to be alive at any given time.”

“So,” Kurt continued, “when it’s time for the new soulmates to be born, we will come back here and go on our next adventure?”

“Yes,” Caphriel answered. “Though how long or when that will be I will not tell you.”

“I didn’t figure you would,” Kurt replied in understanding. Sure, it was information he’d love to have, but it wasn’t anything he would remember once he was sent back to Blaine, so in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t really matter.

Kurt went back to watching what was happening in Blaine’s life. He had so much to think about and only time, lots of time it would seem, on his hands. Since they were going to be apart for so long, he was extremely grateful that his tether was still intact, and he could send feelings though it. It wasn’t really something he actively figured out; it was more something that just happened, and it seemed like Blaine was grateful when it did. He wasn’t sure he could go as long as he was going to have to go without being able to feel his soulmate’s love in some way. Kurt thought about the times Blaine masturbated and how he didn’t have to do the same to feel the euphoria that climax brought. It was in those moments of extreme feeling that Kurt was able to feel what Blaine was feeling more than just on the surface. He was thankful that he could send those feelings right back to Blaine without having to do anything physically himself.  _ That would be so embarrassing! _

* * *

When it came time for Blaine to escort Quinn home, he could tell that his sire wanted to be the one to do it. In hushed tones, Blaine told him that he would be able to escort her in due time, but now wasn’t that time. There were protocols for this type of thing and introductions that would need to be made. Upon arrival at the Fabray home, Blaine talked to Jean-Pierre about what he had witnessed between her and Josiah at the end of Quinn’s lesson today. Jean-Pierre was honestly ecstatic. His daughter had declined every match he and his wife had tried to make, adamant that she would only marry for love. Blaine made sure that Jean-Pierre knew that there had been no declarations made by either of them and that it might be a long engagement/courting period.

“I’m okay with the match if Quinn is,” Jean-Pierre replied. “Honestly, I’m just glad there’s a chance she won’t be a spinster. She has so much to offer a potential partner, and I would hate to see her end up alone in this world.”

“As you know,” Blaine offered, “the reason that we were at my residence is because Quinn would like to learn how to play the piano, and you don’t have one here. Would it be acceptable to you, knowing about Josiah, if she continues to study at my home, or would you rather I find a different location?”

“I’ve always been impressed with your maturity and your logical thinking, Blaine,” Jean-Pierre said. “As long as they aren’t alone with each other, and you assure me that they won’t be left alone at any point, I have no problem with the lessons continuing at your home. Also, I’d like to meet Josiah when he has the availability.”

“I don’t foresee any of that being a problem,” Blaine replied and shook Jean-Pierre’s hand before taking his leave and heading toward the brothel. He had made plans with Josiah before he left the house to meet them there since it was their night all together. After they had eaten and were back in the privacy of their own home, Blaine filled Josiah and Elliot in on what had transpired when he dropped Quinn back off at her house.

“She’s 22 now, correct?” Josiah asked, thinking that his math was correct but wanting to make certain.

“Correct,” Blaine answered. “She just turned 22 a few weeks ago.”

“I need to contact my family and let them know I’ve found her,” Josiah stated, thinking about everything he had to do. “I need them to see if she can be turned early or if they will insist she be 25 before doing so. I need to talk to her to see if she will even accept me and if she would want to turn. But all of that can’t happen until I talk to my brother and father.”

“Where are they located right now?” Elliot asked, a thought forming in his mind.

“All of the cousins are pretty spread out, but after Rhoslyn has so much difficulty with the twins, we decided that we should never be more than a day’s travel away from each other,” Josiah answered. “My father is in Geneva, and Percival is in Venice.”

Elliot was mentally going over the globe in his mind and knew that there weren’t means of travel that would make that journey only one day. “How?” he asked, confusion clear on his face.

“We can run much, much faster than any horse can travel,” Josiah replied with a grin. “I can make it to Venice to get my brother and then on to Geneva so we can talk with Father in a day’s time. Then, we can come back the following day after things have been discussed. The journey will have to wait a day, though, as I am scheduled to work at the hospital tomorrow, and I will not leave my fellow doctors or patients.”

“I guess I forget how fast we are since we’ve had to adapt to walking slow to blend in,” Blaine replied. Sometimes, he forgot what he was now and all of the power he possessed. He thought about going to the forest someday and letting loose with his speed, just to see what it really felt like.

“Would the two of you feel comfortable if she were able to be turned now and it’s what she wanted?” Josiah asked. If he had to, he would find a home for him and Quinn to move into, but he preferred to stay with his boys for as long as they all could.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Elliot stated. “I’m glad that you’ve finally found your mate.”

“I can’t say as I have any issue with it either,” Blaine replied. “I, too, am happy you have found her. Obviously, I wasn’t there with Adrian, but the look the two of you had in your eyes makes me think about how I imagine Kurt and I looked at each other.”

“Did they look like love-sick puppies?” Elliot asked Blaine with a chuckle.

Blaine laughed. “They did.”

“That sounds exactly like how you and Kurt looked at each other,” Elliot replied, nudging Blaine playfully.

“You two are the best sons anyone in my position could have asked for,” Josiah stated and kissed each one on the forehead.

“Do you think the two of you will have any of your own children?” Blaine asked. He was all of a sudden afraid of losing Josiah or, at least, his place in his sire’s life.

“If we do, you two will always be my sons,” Josiah told both of them with a fire in his eyes. He then pulled them both into a hug and whispered, “No matter if Quinn and I have no children, one child, or ten, you both will never be treated any differently than they will.”

Blaine and Elliot hugged their sire back as tightly as he was hugging them, both letting out a breath they weren’t aware they were holding until hearing Josiah’s answer. Over the last few years, they had grown into a very tight-knit family, and they couldn’t imagine a day going by without them all being together.

While Josiah was at the hospital the following day, Blaine and Elliot talked about everything that had transpired with their sire. Blaine sat down at the piano, and Elliot sat in a chair close by. As Blaine played, Elliot began to sing their conversation. Before long, both boys were laughing hysterically, and at that moment, they found a new favorite pastime: Blaine coming up with a tune and Elliot coming up with lyrics.

The following day, Josiah took off for Venice very early in the morning, letting his sons know that he would be back by Monday night at the latest. On Sunday, Blaine talked to Elliot about his idea to go to the forest and test out their speed. Elliot was hesitant at first and talked through his worries with Blaine about what would happen if anyone saw them or they couldn’t find their way back. Both possibilities were discussed and planned for. In the end, they were unwarranted, and both boys fell in love with the wind against their skin and the sheer power in their speed.

Once Blaine graduated and started his own business, he took Mondays completely off. Those were his “Kurt” days. Some days, he struggled and would cry all day long. Others, he would compose songs of love. And others, he would read  _ Nothing Can Keep Us Apart _ and Kurt’s letters. Today was the latter. He was feeling wonderful from his run with Elliot the day before as well as the knowledge that Josiah had finally found his mate. Blaine was so full of love he felt like he could burst.

Blaine made his way to his room, took his clothes off, and crawled under his blankets. He picked up the copy of  _ Nothing Could Keep Us Apart _ that Kurt had written for him for their anniversary all those years ago and began to read.

“ _ ‘Kurt,” Blaine moaned between kisses, ‘I—I want you. I want to try.’ He hated how desperate his voice sounded but he couldn't help himself, and he hoped Kurt understood the words that he couldn’t quite make come out of his mouth. His body was thrumming with anticipation. _

_ ‘Roll over,’ Kurt whispered, waiting for a moment as the other boy re-positioned himself below him. He ran his hands reverently down Blaine's body, loving the feel of the smooth skin of his back, his strong muscles tightening with every little touch. ‘You're so beautiful, so perfect,’ he whispered into Blaine's ear. He ran his hands up and down, dragging his fingertips over the boy's skin for a few moments before allowing himself to cup his cheeks, pulling them gently apart. _

_ Blaine gasped as cool air hit his most sensitive place. The gasp turned quickly to a moan as the cool air was replaced by Kurt's warm, wet tongue. The sensation was odd and the best feeling he'd ever felt at the same time. _

_ At first, Kurt worked his tongue around the rim, gently, cautiously. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but that didn't matter. He wanted nothing more than to make Blaine happy, and by the noises he was making, Blaine was very happy with what he was doing. After he was sure that his lover was comfortable with his presence, he sat up. Gently, he inserted an oiled finger, slowly, waiting for Blaine's body to relax before moving in further. He could feel the boy's body moving and contracting around him. _ ”

By the time he’d finished reading the last word, he was painfully hard. Blaine set the book down on the table beside him and took himself in his hand. He ever so slowly began to pump his cock. Blaine loved these kinds of Mondays because he could take his time with himself. He remembered every moment of his lovemaking with Kurt. When he got right to the edge, he would slow down and run his hand over his body, reverently, in the way he knew Kurt would if he were there. Through the tether, he could feel sparks of pleasure when Blaine would brush against his nipples or fondle his balls. The bigger sparks would come when Blaine would trace the rim of his ass. He knew that whenever he was able to, he wanted to experience that feeling with Kurt. He loved being inside of Kurt more than anything he’d ever felt in his life thus far, but feeling the other side of lovemaking was something he wanted desperately. Blaine brought himself to the edge of climax over and over and over again. When he knew he couldn’t take it anymore, he let himself finally feel all of the build-up and euphoria mixed with the heat from the tether. It seemed like the longer he was able to last before climaxing, the warmer the tether would get, and it was a heat that Blaine was becoming addicted to.

After Blaine came down from his release, he cleaned himself up and laid back down in bed. He knew what letter was next to be read, and he knew what would likely happen after reading it.

“ _ My Dearest B, _

_ I found myself daydreaming today about you, about what it might be like to run away with you and be able to love you without any worries about what people would think or say. I know that will never happen, but it is such a beautiful thought. I dream about getting to kiss you anytime I want to. I dream about you chopping down wood for our fire and the smell that would be on your skin from the exertion. I dream about all of the ways we could be intimate, just like in the fairytale we both love. The thought of laying down with you in the darkness, gazing up at the stars together or making slow, sweet love makes the lonely feelings that I have worse. But they also make it better; being with you always makes me feel better. These dreams play through my mind every night I am alone in my bed. I hope that one day, we will be able to experience these things. Know that I am always thinking about you and longing for the day we might be able to run away together. _

_ All my love, _

_ Kurt _ ”

When Blaine finished the letter, he found himself hard again, just like he anticipated he would. The tether was consistently warm, which made holding off his climax more and more difficult. He lasted about 45 minutes before it was too much, and he came with a shout. It took almost a full minute for Blaine to come back to himself after cumming so hard. On shaking legs, he got out of bed and cleaned himself up before redressing and going to the music room where he composed the most beautiful song before heading to the brothel for his food that day.

By the time he got home, Blaine felt lighter than he had since losing Kurt and wondered if the run the previous day, coupled with his euphoria of today, had anything to do with it. When he walked into the house, he could hear that Josiah was back and that he and Elliot were in the library. Even though tonight was his night by himself, he wanted to hear what Josiah had found out and went to the library to join them.

“Blaine,” Josiah said and hugged his son. “You look well.”

“I feel better than I have in a very long time,” Blaine answered. “What have you found out?”

“Would you both have a seat while we discuss our options?” Josiah asked. After both boys sat Josiah began recounting the last couple of days. “I went to Venice to get Percival first. I knew that my father wouldn’t even discuss the prospect without his presence there, regardless of his gift.”

“What is your father’s gift?” Blaine asked. It had been something he had always meant to ask, but the time had never seemed right or he had simply forgotten when it came to his mind.

“My father has the power to read memories and thoughts,” Josiah replied. “Each and every thought you’ve ever had.”

“Wow,” Elliot said. “How did you ever hide anything from him?”

“We didn’t,” Josiah laughed. “But, then again, I have never had anything I’ve needed to hide from him either.”

“There are things I’d rather him never know about me,” Blaine said. He thought of the time he was able to be intimate with Kurt. That was something that only the two of them should ever see or feel.

“I can understand and respect that, Blaine,” Josiah said. “And, so will he. While it’s not a power he can turn on and off, he does safeguard himself against reading those he comes into contact with.”

“How so?” Elliot asked.

“Do you remember that first night when I was telling you about the history?” Josiah asked. “When my father fed from William the night he was fully a vampire, he brushed his hand as he left and was able to see all of William’s memories until that point in time. Once the connect was severed, the memories stopped. There have been times that his gift has been a source of contention between him and my mother, as well as when my siblings and I were growing up. He has since worn gloves at all times, except when he is only around my mother, because his gift only works if skin-to-skin contact is made. He and my mother have worked on their communication over the years and have nothing to hide from each other. When you meet him, he will not require you to let him read your thoughts. They are yours, and he will not force that on you.”

“I can see that kind of power being very dangerous,” Blaine said. “I’m not implying that your father is dangerous, but I can see how that power in the wrong person’s hands could become very dangerous.”

“He had a taste of what his power could do if he allowed it,” Josiah stated. “After Adrian was turned, my father asked to read him. Adrian knew what his power was, of course, and hoped that my father would side with him and help him in his domination. My father said that Adrian painted a picture where the vampires ruled over everyone, my father at the helm, and Adrian protecting him. What wasn’t in the picture were us kids, and when Father asked where we were, Adrian showed him in his mind that we would never comply; he would find a way to eliminate us. Father broke contact right then, and that was the moment that he knew two things for certain: He would never become what Adrian’s vision had shown him, and that Adrian would have to be killed and soon.”

“I have nothing to hide in those ways,” Blaine said. “But there are some thoughts, particularly those concerning Kurt, that I don’t want to share with anyone.” Just at that moment, the tether warmed some, and it felt like Kurt was telling him that if he needed to, he was alright with Blaine sharing those thoughts and memories.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” a voice said from the doorway.

Blaine and Elliot looked up to see two men standing there. One had brown hair and was around 6’3” with dark chocolate eyes. His skin tone was a little bit darker than Josiah and the other man’s. The man standing next to him was a little shorter, standing around 6’0”. He also had dark brown hair, but his eyes were hazel. Josiah stood up and went over to the doorway. Looking at the three, Blaine and Elliot could definitely see the family resemblance and knew they were about to meet Matthew and Percival Edwards.


	13. Paris Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place between 1689-1691.

"I am not going to ask you to share your memories, Blaine," Matthew said. "Those are yours and yours alone."

"I'm so sorry," Blaine replied, unsure of how to act in front of the father of all vampires.

"Please don't fear me," Matthew stated. He could tell that Blaine was scared of him, and he didn't like it one bit. "I may be the oldest vampire, but I'm not a monster. I won't ever make you share anything you don't want to. In fact, I'd much rather have people tell me things than have to resort to reading it from them. It's why I have two companions with me at all times. I prefer to read as few people as possible, so for now at least, until I move again that is, Caroline and Frederick are the only two that I feed from until they retire, and I will find two more to employ. You see, I can read people if I touch them, but also if I feed from them, and that's just a lot of knowledge and power I'd rather limit if I'm able to."

Blaine nodded. "Your power must be difficult at times, I'd imagine."

Matthew laughed. "It can be, yes. But it can also be a blessing."

"I can see that," Blaine replied.

"It's nice to officially meet the both of you," Percival said. "As I'm sure Josiah has told you, we watched both of you for a few weeks when you were younger. My brother could see something in you that made him want to turn you someday."

"He did," Elliot answered. "And, we are both well aware now that turning before 25 is not common practice, and we both thank you very much for allowing us this amazing gift."

Matthew made eye contact with Blaine, seeing the hurt in the young vampire's eyes. "I am so sorry about your Kurt," he said. "I wish we would have, somehow, known that the same illness would take him so that we could have been here to make sure he had the same Fate you both did."

"Thank you, sir," Blaine said, wishing the same thing. "I know that he will rejoin me someday."

Matthew and Percival raised their eyebrows and looked at Josiah. This was something he hadn't told them as it wasn't his place to say anything.

"I think we should all sit and allow Blaine to tell this part of the tale, if he's up to it that is," Josiah offered.

Blaine was thankful that his sire hadn't spilled all of his secrets. When he thought about telling Matthew and Percival about his senses, he didn't get any bad feelings and thought it would be alright to tell them. "I'd like that very much," Blaine said. Once they were all seated, Blaine told Matthew and Percival about his sense ability and the tether. They were both astounded that the connection Blaine was describing was the same one Isabella had described with Everard.

"Wow," Matthew breathed, feeling almost like he was in the presence of someone very special. He had always felt that way with his daughter and her mate. The love that they exuded was palpable, and it had been too long since he had felt it. "Do you have any idea on how long it might take for him to come back?"

Blaine chuckled. "I wish I did. I'm not even sure he does." At that, Blaine felt a tug on the tether and shook his head. "Or, maybe he does." At the questioning glances, Blaine simply looked up like that would explain everything. He felt a body next to him and knew it was his brother, his best friend, offering what comfort he could. Elliot knew that talking about Kurt was hard for Blaine, and not knowing how long it would be until they saw each other was even harder.

"Just think," Elliot said, hoping to cheer his friend up, "when you guys do see each other again, you'll be able to serenade the crap out of him with any instrument you want."

Blaine burst out laughing, knowing his friend was right. His laugh made everyone in the room smile and the tether warm.

"Your laugh could cure diseases," Matthew said with a smile. "That has got to be one of the most pure sounds I've ever heard in my long lifetime."

If Blaine could blush, he would have in that moment. "Thank you, sir."

"It's Matthew, Blaine," he replied.

"Old habits," Blaine said with a grin. "You'll likely have to remind me several more times before it sticks and even some more after that."

Matthew laughed, "I can do that."

They all talked for a few more hours, getting to know more about each other, and the two older vampires asked about the two younger ones' turning and transition processes firsthand. Josiah had written to them, but nothing was better than firsthand knowledge. Eventually, they all retired to their bedrooms, eager to see what the following days held.

Over the next few days, Matthew and Percival watched Quinn. They saw that she was kind and delicate but also independent. She knew what she wanted and would not settle for anything less than what she deserved. They both knew that if needed, turning her before the optimal age would be allowed.

One night, after they had all eaten and came back to the house, Elliot and Blaine were putting on a music show of sorts. Blaine played the piano, and the two of them sang. After the third song, Josiah broke the mood.

"How do I tell her?" he asked. "How do I even go about explaining all of this? I can't ask her to marry me without telling her everything! We'll have to be married for a few years before I can turn her, and I don't want to marry her and just leave Paris."

"Breathe," Blaine said. "Everything will work out the way it's supposed to."

"Listen to your son," Matthew said with a smile. He had really enjoyed getting to know Blaine over the past few days and was going to miss him when he went back home to Geneva. "From what your brother and I have seen, she'll be able to handle all that this entails."

"I agree with Matthew," Blaine said. "She seems like the type of person who has always been looking for some kind of adventure and hasn't been able to find it. Almost as if she's been waiting, holding out for something."

The next time Quinn was at the house, Josiah made it a point to be there as well. He wanted to make sure that she was indeed his mate, and that what he felt was not a fluke. It turns out that he was correct in his feelings, that she was indeed his mate, and he couldn't have been happier. When mates make eye contact, it's as if something inside of them shifts, and everything fits in place as it should. Their eye contact before had been brief, and therefore, the pieces didn't all get where they needed to go. This time, though, it was as if Josiah felt whole in a way he never had before. After Blaine led Quinn into the music room and saw Josiah there, he went to the other side of the room for appearance sake and tried to give the two some semblance of privacy while still honoring Mr. Fabray's wishes.

"Quinn, I need to talk to you about something before we move any further in our relationship," Josiah said after he had bowed and kissed her hand. Then, he led her over toward one of the chairs in the music room. He was glad that Blaine and Elliot entertained for them so often and had chairs in there so that they wouldn't have to go to another room. Blaine busied himself with sheet music on the other side of the room, ready to step in if needed, though his power was telling him that everything would work out fine. He and Josiah had planned this talk the night before, knowing that the conversation needed to happen sooner rather than later.

"I guess the first thing I need to ask is if you would like to have a relationship with me..." Josiah said with a small smile.

"I know we don't know each other very well at all," Quinn began, "but, yes, I do. I can't explain what happened when our eyes met last week. It was like...something inside me knew that you were the person I had been waiting for. My father is ecstatic, of course. He'd written me off as a spinster, and with my age, he didn't think anyone would want me anymore."

"My darling," Josiah said and held her hand, "I've been waiting to find you for so long. There is something I need to talk to you about before we go any further, though. And, it is something that might be hard to believe and will likely seem unreal to you. Are you up to hearing it right now?"

"I could tell that there was something unique about you from that first moment I saw you," Quinn answered. "Am I right in guessing that this unique quality is what you're going to tell me about?"

"It is," Josiah chuckled, loving how perceptive his mate was. "First, I need to ask you a question. What do you know, if anything, about vampires?"

Quinn's left eyebrow raised, and she smirked. "I know the old saying,

' _The cold ones among us  
Have been here so long.  
With an appetite for blood,  
They feel they belong._

_The cold ones will suffer  
From many a fate:  
Garlic or holy water  
The sun or a stake._

_Always be wary  
Keep watch for a sign  
Cast your eyes down  
Lest they think you divine._

_My warning to you:  
Stay in at night.  
That's when they feed;  
They may give you a fright.'_

But I've always felt that there was more to it if I'm being honest. If there really were these beings out there, wouldn't this bloodshed have been seen more often? As far as I have heard, there hasn't been anything of the sort, and this is just something mothers and fathers use to keep their children in line."

"What if I were to tell you what you recited was the result of the act of one being? The real poem goes like this:

' _Though we are different,  
we vow to protect  
those who among us  
are small and weak yet._

_The dangers that lurk  
in the shadows are many.  
But we, the guardians of shadows,  
will shelter the cities._

_In service to those  
that we need the most,  
we'll forever uphold  
and keep strong at our post.'_"

"I'd say that makes a lot more sense," Quinn answered. "You're one of them, aren't you?" she asked, no trace of fear in her voice.

"I am," Josiah replied.

"I want to be with you, Josiah," Quinn said. "In whatever capacity that entails. Would I need to be like you to do that? There are so many questions I have."

"Vampires mate for life, darling," Josiah answered. "Last week, when our eyes met, our souls recognized each other as mates. When a vampire finds their mate, it is customary to turn them but not until they are 25. There are several reasons for this, and I will explain each and every one of them to you."

"Does that mean that we would have to wait until then to wed?" Quinn asked.

"No, it doesn't," Josiah responded. "We would be able to wed before then, but there is another aspect to this that we would need to discuss, especially since it would be a few years before I could turn you."

"I'm listening," Quinn replied.

"While the poem you've heard isn't completely true, there are some parts of it that are," he said. "Our lives depend on the blood of humans. We do not drain them; we take what we need and never harm. Another time, I will tell you about how the poem that you knew came about, but I'd rather not sully this moment with that memory if it's okay with you."

"That's fine," Quinn replied, smiling.

"I've been told by members of my family that feeding from your mate is like nothing else," Josiah said. "If you were ever to allow me to do that before you were turned, if that's something you wanted, I wouldn't be able to feed from anyone else. My body would reject anything but your blood after I've fed from you."

"What would happen if I were to die before you turned me?" Quinn asked.

"I'm not sure since it hasn't happened to any of us before," Josiah replied. "I would assume that I would starve, however long that took, or I would take the Rite."

"What usually happens, then?" Quinn asked. "Are there any vampires who don't have to turn their mates?"

"So far, it hasn't happened," Josiah explained. "My family are the only vampires I've ever met or known. It is possible that there are others out there, but none that we've ever come across in all of our years. The only people who are not mates that have been turned are Blaine and Elliot."

Quinn smiled over to where Blaine was still sorting sheets of music. "I wondered about him, too."

"I'm sorry, Quinn," Blaine said. "It wasn't my place to tell you."

"I'm not mad, Blaine," Quinn said and then turned back to Josiah. "I want this. I don't need time to think about it before you ask. It's like I've been waiting for something to happen in my life to make it worth living. You're it. You're what I've been waiting for, and this is what I want. I want a life with you. When I'm able to, I want to be turned, and I don't want you feeding from anyone else from now on. You're mine, and I'm yours."

"How soon can you pull a wedding together?" Josiah asked. He knew how intimate feedings with mates could be, and he didn't want either of them to hold back.

Josiah and Quinn got married two weeks later, and their wedding night was everything they'd hoped it would be. During the wedding, Blaine got to thinking about Kurt; well, he was always thinking about Kurt. More specifically, he was imagining a time where he and Kurt could get married. He pictured their union in so many different ways; the one consistency between them was the immense love that they shared.

Later that night, after he had fed and was in his bedroom, Blaine lay down and thought more about him and Kurt. More specifically, he closed his eyes and recalled the perfect ceremony from _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_.

" _The ceremony was perfect. The boys stood, facing one another in front of the fire, hands clasped firmly between them. They looked into each others' eyes and professed their love for one another._

' _Blaine,'" Kurt began, tears welling up in his eyes. 'I have loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you. When I saw you drawing water at the well, I knew you were the perfect man for me. And you've proven it every day since then. You make my life so full. You give me meaning, make me feel as bright as the sun. You treat me like a person, not like royalty, and I love you so much.'_

_There were huge tears rolling down Blaine's cheeks as he spoke in a wet voice. 'Kurt, there aren't words to tell you what you mean to me. You are the reason I'm still alive, the reason I came back from the war. I never thought that I would find true love, but here you are. You're perfect and amazing and wonderful, and I'm so glad I found you. I love you. Forever.'_

' _Anni. Ha atthirar,' Kurt whispered, smiling._

' _Ath tel'quiet. Eath'she,' Blaine replied softly._

' _I now pronounce you husband and husband,' the old man declared. 'You can kiss one another now.'_ "

That night, Blaine wept in a way that he hadn't in a long time. He was so, so happy for Josiah and Quinn, but his heart was breaking because he didn't know when he would be able to see Kurt again. He couldn't imagine going years and years without seeing Kurt's beautiful face, without touching his soft skin, without gazing into his captivating eyes. He didn't know if he could wait for eternity to be over, and because he was so emotional from the wedding, he cried. Blaine cried himself to sleep, the warmth of the bond soothing him into slumber.

That night, he dreamt of a different time, of himself and Kurt standing at an alter, joining hands and exchanging rings. The kiss that followed was a kiss he would play over and over in his mind for years to come. It was the kiss of a love so powerful, it would become legendary. The kiss would not only seal their wedding vows, but also their soulmate bond. He didn't know if the dream had been orchestrated by Kurt or not, but he was thankful for it nonetheless. It renewed his faith in their bond and kept him focused on filling his time until Kurt returned; he wanted to be ready when his love walked back into his life.

Life returned to normal after that. Blaine and Elliot took their monthly runs in the forest, and they continued to write music together. They knew that the world wasn't ready for it yet, but it felt right to them. Between the two of them, they came up with lyrics and compositions and hoped that someday, they'd be able to do something with their songs.

The day that Quinn turned 25, the little family had a party. They had already said goodbye to Quinn's family, and all of them had resigned from their jobs. Their belongings were already on their way to Bordeaux, and all that was left was to turn Quinn. They took two carriages, Josiah and Quinn in one, Elliot and Blaine in the other. It took them 10 days to make the journey, and by the time they arrived, Quinn was fully transitioned into her vampiric state and taking to it like it was her true nature. Josiah, Blaine, and Elliot had answered all of her questions and had told her everything they knew and had learned about being a vampire. She was feeding on her own, too, though she and Josiah usually fed together.

Blaine could sense that there would be more surprises along the way, and he was looking forward to each and every one of them, mainly because each new thing led him closer to Kurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anni. Ha atthirar = Mine.  
> For life. (Dothraki) Ath tel'quiet. Eath'she = Mine. Always. (Elvish)


	14. Bordeaux to Rome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The timeframe for this chapter is 1691-1756

"Caphriel?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, Kurt?" he answered.

"What…" Kurt began. He'd been wanting to ask this question for a while now, years according to the time frame Blaine was working from. It was something that had been on his mind since Josiah's conversation with Quinn when he first told her that he was a vampire.

"You can ask me anything, Kurt," Caphriel stated. "You know that, don't you?"

"I do know that," Kurt answered. "I know that you might not answer it, too."

"You're right," Caphriel replied. " There are things that the All-Knowing won't tell me and for good reason."

"What happens if Blaine dies before I am reborn?" he asked, biting the proverbial bullet and just asking.

"Your guys' situation is completely unique," Caphriel answered. He had had several conversations with the All-Knowing regarding Kurt and Blaine since Kurt had come back to The Unknown without his soulmate, and he knew what he could and couldn't talk about, especially knowing that once Kurt was reborn, he wouldn't remember anything from his time here. "I would guess, though, that that won't happen. The All-Knowing has a plan for you both. And, regardless of how long you are apart, you are meant for great things. When the time is right, you will be brought back together, and your love will transcend everything. You will both be a beacon of hope and light to the world, and you'll show anyone and everyone who doubts you how strong you are and how much love can conquer."

Kurt was in tears by the end of Caphriel's speech. He knew that, with every lifetime they lived, their love grew stronger and stronger. "I miss him," Kurt answered. "Sometimes, it's hard to breathe, because I miss him so much and knowing how long I have to wait to get back to him is oftentimes overwhelming. However, if we have to wait that long for our love to do all that you said, I think it will be worth the time apart."

"The two of you have a special bond, and I'm sure this is very difficult for you both," Caphriel answered.

"It is," Kurt replied. "The tether helps. Speaking of which, what made Blaine so happy the night of Josiah and Quinn's wedding? I could tell he was dreaming about something and that he was really upset before he went to bed. Is that something you know?"

"I do know," Caphriel answered with a smile. "The All-Knowing has given me special permissions with the two of you, and I was able to show him a bit of your future together."

Caphriel then showed Kurt what he had planted in Blaine's dream. The scene he showed was of a different time, of Kurt and Blaine standing at an altar, joining hands and exchanging rings. The kiss that followed was one of a love so powerful, it felt as though it was worthy of everything Caphriel had told him, that it would change the world as they knew it thus far.

"Thank you," Kurt said quietly, new tears leaking out of his eyes. "Knowing that is my future, actually being able to see it, helps, and I really appreciate you showing me."

"Kurt," Caphriel began, "you have to know by now that the two of you are special to me. I trust that the All-Knowing has a plan and reason to keep you apart. I also know that it's very hard for both of you to be apart, especially for as long as you will be. So, anything you want to know or see, ask. I may not always be able to show or tell you what you want to know, but if it is within my power, I'll show or tell you whatever I can. So please, ask. And, if you ever want me to show you a memory, that's definitely something I can do."

"Thank you, Caphriel," Kurt said. "I will try to keep that in mind." Kurt watched Blaine take his trip to Bordeaux and was excited to see what kind of adventures his soulmate would embark on now that he was in a new city.

As Kurt watched their journey to Bordeaux, he was fascinated by Quinn's ability. Caphriel had told him that she was granted the gift of pathokensis, meaning she could alter people's emotions while she was around them, and when she got out of a certain range, that person wouldn't feel the effect anymore.

"They won't feel it unless they have altered their mood to match what her influence was," Caphriel explained when Kurt asked further questions about how it worked. "Quinn has always been good about reading people's emotions and, in some ways, getting what she wanted out of them by expressing certain emotions herself. None of her manipulation, though, has been for nefarious reasons. This is a gift that will not only serve _her_ well but also those closest to her in the years to come."

Kurt couldn't help but wonder how and when she would have to use her powers to help Blaine cope with one thing or another, and he felt irrationally jealous that she would be there instead of him in those times of need.

* * *

Bordeaux, for Blaine, was fairly boring. He and Elliot attended college, again, and had basically the same kind of jobs as they did in Paris. While they honed their respective skills, they were itching for something new. Unfortunately, new didn't come until they moved to Madrid 13 years later.

Blaine could tell that something was going to happen once they crossed over into Spain. He could feel that something there was going to change their lives and that it would be for good. Because Blaine and Quinn didn't know the language, Elliot spent their first year in Madrid teaching them Spanish. Josiah, having corresponded with the family member that had lived there before them, knew where the best places to feed were, as well as where he could find work and the others could find entertainment.

Elliot and Blaine started college two years after they arrived, each wanting to learn something new. Quinn was upset that she couldn't attend and worked, instead, on a hobby she had been interested in learning more about: jewelry making. The guys would bring home books from the library, and Josiah would bring home supplies for her.

Blaine wanted to learn more about politics and the law, so he decided that this time around, he would study those subjects. It wasn't that he was terribly excited about the subjects like he had been with music, but he also knew that this would not be the last time he would be starting school of some sort. So, he decided _what the hell_ and studied something new. Elliot, for the same reasons as Blaine, decided to study music since the two of them enjoyed playing and singing together so much. He hoped that it would give him new insight into writing songs, too.

One night, after the four of them - Josiah, Quinn, Elliot, and Blaine - had had a family outing and were walking home, regaling one another with stories about the concert they had just seen, Blaine stopped them when he heard a noise. He walked down the alley and could hear a rapid heartbeat coming from behind a crate. When he could sense the person was close, he crouched down on instinct and said in fluent Spanish, "I'm not going to harm you, young one. Would you please come out so I can meet you?"

A very disheveled Spanish girl came out from behind the crate very timidly. She couldn't have been more than four years old and was dirty; her clothes were basically rags. Blaine could sense the goodness in her, though. She was what he had sensed when they crossed over into Spain. She was who was going to change his life. Well, all of their lives.

"Where are your parents?" Blaine asked in a soothing tone.

"Daddy went 'way, and momma hasn't gotten up in a few days," the girl said shyly. "I'm so hungry, and there isn't any more food at home."

"Can you take me to your home?" Blaine asked. He had a feeling he knew what he would find, but he needed to make sure before he proceeded with what was in his heart.

The girl held on to Blaine's proffered hand and led him down the alley to a small home. Josiah, Quinn, and Elliot were right behind him but hadn't said anything aloud for fear of scaring the little girl.

When they walked into the girl's home, they could instantly smell the decay. Blaine looked back at his family, pleading with his eyes to help the girl. Quinn came up to them, crouched down, and calmed the girl's emotions.

"You said your daddy left, and your momma, I'm afraid, won't ever wake up. Where did your daddy go?

"He goes out on big ships," Santana told Quinn. "He left 'fore momma wasn't feeling good and wouldn't wake up."

"How would you like to come live with us?" Quinn asked.

The little girl had tears in her eyes, though she didn't let them fall. She was sad but wasn't overwhelmed by it. "I think I'd like that," she said.

"What's your name?" Josiah asked as he crouched down beside his mate and the little girl.

She looked up toward Blaine, who still had a hold of her hand, searching for something. Blaine nodded to her, hoping that it was the right thing to do. Still looking at Blaine, she answered them, "Santana Lopez."

"It's nice to meet you, Santana. I'm Blaine," he said. "And, this is my family. This is Quinn, Josiah, and Elliot." He pointed to each of his family members in turn.

"Santana," Quinn said, "could I help you gather anything you'd like to take with us? Josiah is going to make sure your momma is taken care of, alright?"

"Can I tell her goodbye?" Santana asked.

"Of course you can," Blaine told her.

The little girl walked over to where her mother was laying. She kissed her cheek and told her she was going to be safe with the angels who had rescued her.

"My stuff's over here," Santana said and led Quinn over to where her belongings were. She grabbed a box that looked to be handmade; it held rocks, shells, and other trinkets that seemed to be important to Santana, a blanket, and a well-loved doll.

Josiah took care of Santana's mother while Elliot and Blaine looked around the home for any keepsakes, documents, and mementos that Santana might want one day when she was older. They found a few pieces of jewelry, a marriage license, and a death certificate (apparently, Mr. Lopez had died at sea during his last outing, and the notice had just recently arrived by the looks of the parchment).

Elliot left the Lopez residence before the others to go find some food and then meet them at the house. It was getting later in the evening, and even though she said she could walk, Blaine picked Santana up and carried her the rest of the way to the house. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder by the time they reached home. He gently woke her up and held her while she ate a very simple meal. Elliot hadn't fixed her anything too heavy, not knowing what kind of food she had been used to before nor the last time she ate. He didn't want to overwhelm her digestive system by giving her rich foods or too much overall. When she was done eating, Quinn took her to bathe and found a nightgown that was clean enough to sleep in. Santana was sound asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

The family reconvened downstairs in the music room, and they were all looking at Blaine. He knew they all wanted answers, and he was trying to figure out the best way to explain his earlier actions. Just before he got ready to talk, warmth spread through his body through the tether, and he knew that Kurt was with him, supporting him from wherever it was he was.

"I know I probably should have discussed that with you before I went down the alley," Blaine began. "I will take full responsibility for her, too. When we crossed into Spain, I felt something, sensed that something here was going to change our lives, and when I saw her face and looked into her eyes, I knew she was what I had sensed."

"I'm not upset, Blaine," Josiah said. "Do I wish we could have discussed it first? Yes. However, I know that we all need to trust our abilities, and yours has never led you astray. Quinn and I have discussed it, and if it's alright with you and Elliot, we would like to raise her as our daughter until she can make the decision for herself if she would like to go to another home or be with us forever."

"I honestly don't care about how she is in my life, so long as she is," Blaine responded. "Elliot, what do you think?"

"I've always wanted a little sister," he said with a grin. "No man is ever going to be good enough for her."

"No woman will either," Blaine replied.

"The right one will," Josiah said, knowing that whomever his daughter fell in love with, they would be loved immensely.

"She's going to be amazing, isn't she?" Quinn asked Blaine.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting his power fill him. He reached inside himself and searched for anything about Santana he could find. "She's going to help people open their eyes. She's going to be the one that helps people find those that are most important to them, and she's going to do it in her own way. She's definitely going to make a lot of people happy."

It turned out that Santana was the perfect addition to their family. She was smart and sassy, musically talented, and talented in many other ways. Elliot taught her to read when she was of age and started teaching her other languages, too, especially the ones she would need in the next several years. Blaine taught her how to play every instrument he knew and helped her hone her voice. His favorite memories with her in those first few years she was with them were the ones where they would sing together for their family.

When Santana was 15, their time in Madrid had come to an end, and the family was moving to Barcelona. Josiah explained to her that he was asked by a hospital in Barcelona to help out there, and the one here in Madrid had a new doctor to replace him. Blaine continued to study law and politics there, even getting in on some of the councils that were making laws around that time. Santana and Quinn continued their jewelry making, and Elliot continued to study music. Elliot and Blaine loved to make music together, and oftentimes, the girls would join them. They both had such beautiful voices and gave valuable input when lyrics weren't flowing right.

Santana was very perceptive. She always had been, and she was very straightforward, a quality her family loved about her. As far as they knew, she was not afraid to call them out on their shit, and they always knew where they stood with her. However, there was one thing she'd noticed that she never had the courage to bring up. She knew, had known from a very early age, that her family was...different. She couldn't quite put her finger on how they were different. She just knew they were, but since no one ever talked about it, she never brought it up for fear that they might kick her out or send her away. When she turned 20, however, she finally gathered enough courage to ask them the one thing that had been on her mind since she was in her early teens.

"Can I ask you guys a serious question?" she asked one night after they had sung together for an hour after their nightly meal.

"Of course you can," Josiah answered. He could tell they were all intrigued by what Santana had to say, because she never asked permission to ask anyone anything; she just did it.

"After I'm asleep," she began, "you all leave the house for an hour or two and then come back. None of you have aged a day since I met you. You haven't pressured me into getting married like some of the other families I have heard about. You're all so different than anyone I've ever met. I guess... I'm wondering why? And, please don't lie to me."

They all looked at each other, and ultimately, their collective eyes landed on Blaine. He and Santana had become very close over the years, and Blaine had become somewhat of a protector over Santana. When she was 10, Santana had been walking with Blaine and Elliot to the market to get some supplies, and she had overheard another little girl ask her mom why the three of them looked so different. It had upset her to the point of tears, and they had turned around and went home without getting what they had gone out for. When they had arrived at home, Blaine had explained to her something that would stick with her for the rest of her life.

"Families come in all shapes and sizes," he had said. "Some families are small while others are large. Our family looks different than most, and that's perfectly fine. What really makes a family isn't how big it is or who is in it. It's the love that is shared between those people. Since the beginning of time, you were meant to be part of our family; it just took us all a little while to find each other, because we had to be born to other families first."

With all eyes on him, Blaine got up from where he was sitting and walked over toward Santana. He took her hand and held it in his, hoping like hell he didn't mess this up. Blaine wasn't sure what he would do if what he told her scared her off, and she left them. At that thought, he felt a surge of warmth through the tether, and he knew exactly what he needed to do.

"You are a very smart woman, Tana," Blaine said. "You see things that other people don't, and it's one of my favorite qualities about you. What I'm going to tell you isn't something we ever intended to keep from you forever. I guess you just asked before we found the 'right' time to talk to you about it." He took a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to say was going to change her life yet again.

"What?" she said in her signature snarky tone. "You're not soul-sucking vampires, are you?"

"Not soul-sucking," Blaine replied, making sure to maintain eye contact with her so she could tell he was serious.

"Well, shit," she said as she took in the meaning behind both what Blaine had said and didn't say, still not letting go of his hand. "I have questions."

Blaine laughed at that. "We figured you would. Please, ask anything you want, and we will answer them all, even if it takes all night."

And ask she did. They spent the rest of the night telling her everything they knew. When she asked if she could be turned, all of their eyes watered in thanks that she wanted to be with them until the end of time. She asked if Blaine could be the one to turn her, even though Josiah and Quinn had taken on the role of her parents.

"Wow," Blaine said. "I don't know what to say. I'm honored. Very honored. I'm just not sure how comfortable I am having that much responsibility over your life. I've never done it before."

"Santana," Josiah interrupted, "I'm the only one who has turned anyone, and while we have a few years before it can be done, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with anyone else turning you. Would that be okay with you? If I did that?"

"I'll hold your hand the whole time and never leave your side," Blaine said. "And, if Josiah turns you, you'll get a gift."

Santana smiled, "Yeah, that's perfect. I love gifts."

Shortly after the conversation was over, everyone went to their respective spaces in the house to rest. The vampires went to the emergency blood storage bin and got their dinner, having missed their nightly outing as they had talked with Santana during that time.

When Blaine finally got to his room that night, he felt better than he had in a long time. Talking about his soulmate bond with Kurt always made him miss his love even more than usual, and he knew just the thing to make him feel better. Blaine pulled out Kurt's journal and turned to one of the letters.

_My Dearest B,_

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?  
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.  
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,  
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.  
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,  
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;  
And every fair from fair sometime declines,  
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;  
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,  
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,  
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,  
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.  
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,  
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._

_Mr. Shakespeare certainly has a way with words, doesn't he? This poem has been in my head all evening, and I wanted to share it with you. My day was absolutely perfect, and the only thing that was missing was you. Each time I heard a bird sing, I wanted to share it with you. The warmth of the sun on my skin reminded me that I was alive, even though we can't be together right now. All of my experiences each day, I wish I could share with you, and I long for the day when we can share everything with each other all of the time. Sometimes, when I am feeling discouraged, I remember this poem, and I see you in everything around me. I remember that you are real and that the love we share is real. In the depths of my soul, I know that our time apart is only temporary and that one day, we will be able to share everything with each other all of the time._

_Until then, I send all of my love through the air to you,_

_Kurt_

Blaine fell asleep that night with a smile on his face and warmth in his heart, knowing that, without a doubt, he and Kurt would be able to share those times with each other someday.

Santana turned 25 in 1727 and was turned on her birthday. She had become overly excited leading up to the day her life would change forever; they were all worried that it might be nerves and not excitement. In the end, they knew she was just ready to be a solidified part of her family. The turning went perfectly, and Blaine, true to his word, didn't leave her side once. Her gift, as she came to discover, allowed her to see the relationships between people, any kind of relationship. Not only could she identify the relationship, she could also see how strong the ties were that bound people together.

The strongest bond she came across was Kurt and Blaine's, even though Kurt wasn't there. Their bond had a golden color to it and was thicker and brighter than any other lover's bonds. She could tell that there was nothing, not even death, that would ever sever their bond. The bond was almost overwhelming to her, as if seeing just the link was intruding on something private. At first, she felt sorry for her brother, knowing how much he must be missing his mate. That feeling was quickly replaced with happiness for she knew that he had found and experienced the greatest of love; even better, someday, his love would come back, and he'd never have to lose him again. She knew that they would love for all eternity, and not even death could part them.

The next 26 years went by quickly for the family. They moved to Geneva when it was time to leave Barcelona and then Corsica after that. When the family entered Italy on their way to Rome, however, Blaine sensed that something huge was going to happen while they were there, and he wasn't entirely sure if it would be a good or bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The poem used in Kurt's letter is Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare.


	15. Rome to Vienna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The years for this chapter are 1756-1795.

The sense of foreboding was in the back of Blaine's mind for the first few years they were in Rome. To be honest, he sometimes forgot about it, because he was so in love with the city. Blaine instantly fell in love with the culture, the buildings, the music, the theater, everything. He and Elliot worked on their songwriting and composing, forming their brotherly bond more than they had in years past. There was something magical, almost, about the city.

This wonderful feeling confused Blaine, because even though he felt this sense of vitality and growth in his own abilities and learning, that foreboding sense was always tickling the back of his mind. He was mostly able to ignore it in favor of studying music, performing, composing, and teaching over the next several years. When the new year of 1765 rang in, however, the foreboding feeling increased.

Blaine was so confused by it. He had spent a wonderful evening with his family and watched the fireworks around the city. Blaine knew that he should probably talk to Josiah about what he had been feeling, though he didn't.

Quinn noticed something was wrong a few weeks into January. Blaine wasn't as focused as usual and was often on edge. "What's wrong, Blaine?" she asked one day after she'd struggled to calm him with her power.

"I'm not entirely sure," Blaine answered, knowing he wouldn't be able to lie to Quinn about what he was feeling. "Let's get the others, and I'll see if I can explain."

Blaine went and found Josiah, Elliot, and Santana and brought them into the music room. It seemed that all of their hard discussions took place there.

"I'm not sure if any of you besides Quinn have noticed," Blaine began, "but something has been off since we crossed into Italy."

"Off how?" Josiah asked. He had noticed a slight change in Blaine's behaviors. He hadn't said anything, though; he was waiting for Blaine to come to him.

"It's been like this sense of apprehension," Blaine said. "I'm honestly not sure how else to describe it but a tickle in the back of my mind. It's always there, and for the most part, I've been able to ignore it. There haven't been any big changes on Kurt's end, at least not that I've been able to tell." Just then, a warmth radiated through him, and Santana gasped.

"He's sending you something, isn't he?" she asked.

"Sometimes, he will send calming or warm sensations through our bond," Blaine replied. "Why?"

"I can SEE it," Santana said. "I must have never been around when he's done it before. You're absolutely glowing, Blaine. It's beautiful."

"Thanks," Blaine said. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm going crazy and just imagine it, because I want it so badly to be true. Knowing you can see what I can feel is a reassurance I wasn't aware I needed." Blaine took a few moments to simply feel Kurt's love run through him before he addressed his family once more. "Anyway, the foreboding feeling has intensified since the new year. I can sense that something is going to happen this year. Something big, at least bigger than has happened since I was turned. And, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a good something."

"Do you get the sense that it's going to happen to all of us, or does it feel like it's specific to you?" Josiah asked. Blaine's gift had never steered them wrong before, and he'd rather have some sort of idea of what was to come rather than be blindsided like he had been with Adrian.

"I am definitely involved in it, whatever it is," Blaine said. "Let me try something." He sat down on the floor and centered himself. This wasn't anything he'd ever tried before, though he had wondered from time to time if it could be done. He'd just never had a reason to try it. Blaine centered himself and reached deep within, seeing if his ability could offer him any sort of guidance as to what was coming. He got flashes of a small city that was only accessible by a bridge. Everything else was fuzzy, though, besides his family being there.

Blaine took a deep breath and came back fully to himself. "Well, that was sort of cool."

"What happened Blaine?" Santana asked.

"Well, it's something I've been passively thinking about for a while," Blaine started to explain. "I wondered if my gift was just for surface sensing, or if I could go deeper and try to see anything else. I just tried it, and while I have no idea where it was I saw, I did see somewhere. A small city that was only accessible by a bridge. You all were there. Everything was sort of fuzzy after that. My guess is that whatever is going to happen will happen there."

"So, now, the question is, do we just not leave the city until the feeling passes or continue on with life as it is?" Santana asked.

"In my experience with gifts," Josiah began, "if it's meant to happen, it will. There might be times that Blaine senses something, and he is supposed to change it; and, other times, he will sense things as a warning of sorts."

"Josiah is right," Blaine agreed. "When we came into Spain, I got a sense that something big was going to happen. When we found you, Santana, I knew you were what I had been sensing. We were supposed to find you. I think it would be detrimental to my gift, and possibly even my soulbond with Kurt, if I ignored the signs. I think we keep living life like we usually do, and whatever happens will happen. If I'm meant to stop it, I will."

"Would it be alright with you if I go places with you when I am able to?" Elliot asked. "I know you said that you were shown someplace that doesn't sound like it's in Rome, right?"

"Yeah," Blaine answered. "It doesn't look like any place I've ever seen. And, I'll never say no to your company, Elliot. Don't feel like you need to babysit me, though."

"I don't," Elliot replied. "I promise I don't. It's just, if you're going to go through something potentially bad, I want to be there to help you in any way I can. You're my brother, and that's what brothers do. They look out for each other."

"Blaine?" Josiah asked.

"Yes, Josiah?" Blaine answered.

"Would it be alright with you if Quinn paid a little more attention to your mood until whatever happens happens?" he asked. "I don't want you to feel like we're always watching you. If we have the ability to help, though, and you're comfortable with it, it might not be a horrible idea."

"I don't want to cause any stress on any of you," Blaine said. "This is partly why I hadn't said anything until the unsettled feeling became so overwhelming that I couldn't hide it from Quinn."

"You wouldn't be causing any more stress on me, Blaine," Quinn said. "I love you and want to make sure you're safe. If I can help, I want to. I won't pay extra attention, though, if you are uncomfortable with it. You know I can't shut my gift off, so if you're feeling something, I will be able to feel it. Like you, though, I've been wondering about my gift, and I think there might be a way to hone in on one person's feelings and easily sense any minute changes."

"I'm not uncomfortable at all with you doing that," Blaine said. "If whatever is going to happen is as bad as it's feeling, I'll want all of you by my side, doing anything and everything you can to help me. The more I focus on it, the more I get the sense that this is about me, and not us as a family."

"We've got your back, Blaine," Elliot answered.

"You all are the best family ever," Blaine said to them all. He really and truly loved his family.

For the next several months, the family went about their business like usual. The sense was always there for Blaine, and it got stronger little by little as the months passed. Quinn helped to calm him when he was feeling overwhelmed, and with her help, he was able to maintain the sense of calmness when she wasn't around. The whole family had taken to going for runs in the local wilderness once per month to try and get rid of some of their pent up energy.

During those runs, Blaine was able to let go and feel free. He felt so close to Kurt during those moments that he could almost reach out and touch him. It was nice that there were so many trees and open enough spaces for them to run. They could go in any direction but to the west to run. Usually, though, they ran south, because there were many fewer large cities, and the smaller ones were farther away from each other. With that much space, they could really stretch their legs.

On the second Tuesday of October, 1765, the morning that Blaine woke up calm, the change in his behavior should have alerted the family, as well as himself, that something wasn't as it had been. By some stroke of luck or Fate, nobody in the household was working that day. They played music and sang together. About an hour before they would have typically gone to the brothel, Blaine got up abruptly from the piano and left the house. It took the rest of the family a moment to comprehend what had just happened, and when they did, they all ran out of the house in search of Blaine.

* * *

"Where's he going?" Kurt asked Caphriel.

"He's being pulled somewhere," Caphriel answered. It was hard for him to not let Kurt in on what was happening. The All-Knowing wanted Blaine to see this and ultimately feel that the bond was real.

"This is it, isn't it?" Kurt asked.

"This is what?" Caphriel questioned.

"This is what he's been sensing," Kurt clarified. "Wherever he's being pulled to is the reason he's been having the strong senses of warning since the new year happened."

"Yes, it is," Caphriel answered without offering any more than that.

Kurt could see when Blaine had reached the city he had seen in his meditation.

"HOLY SHIT!" Kurt yelled. "Why here? I don't understand."

"That is something I cannot tell you," Caphriel explained. "You'll know what to do when it's time. Trust yourself and your bond, Kurt."

Kurt could feel Blaine's hesitance and anxiety at seeing the city and sent everything he could through their bond to make him stay where he was until his family was able to get to him. _You're not alone. I'm here. Your family will be there soon. You're safe. Please stay right there until they get there. I love you._ Kurt sent those same messages over and over again until Blaine's family finally got to the city.

* * *

Blaine felt Kurt's presence here. He longed for Kurt to be back in his arms. He hated that he was taken away from him before they could really start to live. Blaine had never felt as angry as he did in that moment. As his anger built, so did the warmth coming through their bond. He could almost hear him through their bond. Almost. It was fuzzy, and he wished he could calm down enough to concentrate on it.

Just then, Blaine's family arrived. Quinn did what she could to alter his emotions to any semblance of calm. The aura around him was so bright that Santana could feel the slightest bit of Kurt's presence there, and it brought tears to her eyes. Their love was magnificent, and it was in that moment that she knew this needed to happen. She couldn't exactly figure out why; she just knew it did.

"There is something in the city that Blaine needs to see," Santana said, being the first one to break the silence. "Kurt's here with us, too. There's something, a pull coming from somewhere in the city, I can see it. It's golden like their bond."

"Blaine," Elliot said softly to his brother. "I'm going to walk right beside you, and Josiah is going to be on your other side. Quinn's going to monitor you from the back, and Santana is going to lead us to where we need to go. You have everyone who cares about you here with you. We won't let anything bad happen to you; I promise."

Blaine didn't respond; he couldn't. It was as if he was incapable of speaking right now. He just knew that whatever he was searching for was inside the city in front of him. After closing his eyes and letting Kurt's presence wash over him, he started to walk across the bridge. Santana could see the gold bond getting stronger the closer they walked to the city.

* * *

"I swear, Caphriel, if anything happens to him, I'm going to be pissed," Kurt said as he continued to send Blaine calming and loving sensations.

"Trust your bond, Kurt," Caphriel repeated.

* * *

Once they were over the bridge, Blaine was pulled as if by a magnet to one house in particular. He got faint sensations as he walked there, almost as if he'd been there before. Santana could see gold running throughout the town, too. The strongest strand was leading them to a house, a house that had a golden aura interwoven in the rocks and wood.

Blaine reached out and touched the house once he was in front of it. He didn't know why, but something was telling him that that was what he was supposed to do. Blaine fell to his knees and sobbed as flashes of memories went through his mind so quickly he couldn't really make sense of them.

_Domus Civita. Finding Kurt for the first time. Falling in love. Making love. Dancing. Lots of sweaty dancing. Elliot trying to butt in. Falling in love. Tattoos. Writing. Falling in love. Kurt as a prince. Being a prisoner. Falling in love. More tattoos. Dragon people. Merpeople. Falling in love. Fairies. School. Getting lost. Falling in love._

"This was the start of it all. This is where WE started. And now, he's gone. He's fucking **GONE**!" Blaine roared. His eyes flashed red.

"Kurt, now would be the time, if you have any tricks up your sleeves, to really step in," Santana yelled. She could see the aura start to dim in places, almost as if, with the wrong move, it could break.

* * *

Kurt was in tears watching all that he knew to be true of their past lives. Sending the strongest emotions he could, he started chanting aloud, "You have to know I'm here, and I love you; and, I will be back. You just have to be strong and wait for me."

* * *

Santana got right in front of Blaine's face as Josiah and Elliot held him from each side while Quinn, almost to the point of exhaustion, tried to help him calm even in the slightest. "Quinn, help him feel the love Kurt is sending."

Quinn did what Santana asked, and they were all amazed at what happened next.

* * *

Without really thinking, Caphriel helped the boys out, consequences be damned. Maybe this was a test from the All-Knowing for him, too.

"You have to know I'm here, and I love you; and, I will be back. You just have to be strong and wait for me." Kurt was surprised at how loudly and clearly his voice boomed through the air, surrounding Blaine and his family. There was no way _he_ was doing this, he knew. But he kept going. This was his chance to say everything he'd wanted to say for the last hundred years.

* * *

"Listen to him, Blaine," Santana said in a calming voice. "If we can hear him, I know you damn well can hear him, too. Listen to what he's saying."

* * *

"This isn't the end of us," Kurt said clearly. Tears were still streaming down his face, but he made sure his voice was strong and clear. He didn't know if or when he would get the chance to actually _talk_ to Blaine again. "We have so many more lives to live together. We get to fall in love over and over and over again for all of eternity. You know this, deep down. We're going to live in different times and see different things and fall in love when we're young and live until we're very old. We're going to have babies and families and everything that we've ever wanted to do or be. I love you, and I know with all of my heart that this is true."

* * *

Blaine cried until he couldn't cry anymore and collapsed right there in front of the house. How nobody heard them, they didn't know. Elliot picked Blaine up and cradled him in his arms. Quinn had collapsed, too, from the strain of helping keep Blaine as open to Kurt's love and calm as she could. Josiah scooped her up and carried her alongside Elliot and Blaine, while Santana trailed behind them.

* * *

"Thank you," Kurt said, tears continuing to stream down his face.

"For what?" Caphriel asked.

"For whatever it was that you did back there," Kurt replied. "For letting him hear me. For keeping anyone else from hearing them. I could tell he was about to lose it and start killing people. Without your help, I'm not sure I would have been able to stop him."

"You would have, had it come to that," Caphriel answered, not addressing the other things Kurt had said. "Part of this was a test for you, too. To show you how strong your bond is and why this wait will be worth it in the end."

"Again, thank you," Kurt said and watched over his soulmate as his family carried him home.

* * *

As they started to go back home, Santana checked the aura and saw that it was stronger than it had been. She looked up to the sky and said, "Thank you." Who she was thanking, she really didn't know. All she did know was that her brother was safe and that someone had intervened to let him hear what his soulmate was saying. When they finally arrived home and put Blaine in his bed, nobody left his side until he awoke late the following day.

The first thing Blaine noticed when he woke up was how hungry he was.

"Here," Josiah said. "Drink this."

Blaine accepted the jar of blood and drank it down quickly. He nodded his thanks to his sire and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to reconcile everything that had happened in the last day. Two days? How long had he been out?

"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked. He had been so worried about losing his brother that the last 12 hours had been excruciating for him.

"Very confused," Blaine answered honestly. "Did all of that happen, or did I dream it all?"

"It happened," Santana answered. "Your Kurt is one amazing guy."

"He really is," Blaine said with a smile. He finally opened his eyes, and they landed on Quinn. "I'm okay; I promise. I know you're not altering anything right now, and I finally feel like I'm at peace with what happened."

Quinn nodded her head in understanding and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still weakened from the previous evening, though her strength was quickly returning. She wondered if the anticipation of possibly having to do what she had done at the house all over again wasn't allowing her body to return to its optimal state.

"What do you mean when you say you're at peace? What happened?" Elliot asked. "Only if you want to share; you know you don't have to."

"I know, Elliot," Blaine said with a smile. "That house was where our bond first formed. I only saw flashes, bits and pieces of things. From what I could tell, we've lived six lifetimes before this one, and each of them have been so vastly different; yet, the same love was born out of all of them. And, not only could I feel Kurt, I could hear him, too, just like I would be able to hear him if he was standing right beside me. I think…I think I needed to really grieve and understand what our bond means. What it means to be soulmates. I don't know if any of this is making any sense at all or why any of it happened at all."

"It is," Elliot replied. "We all heard him, too. And, I think I might know the answer to the why. Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Kurt dying."

"Wow," Blaine said. "I guess I hadn't realized what the actual date was. I guess I'll know better for the next time, huh?"

"We'll all help you," Santana replied. "What a story this would make if someone were to write it down..."

"Speaking of stories," Blaine suddenly recalled, "the book that Kurt transcribed for me, the one that we were both told as children that has characters named Kurt and Blaine?" Seeing his family nod in understanding, he continued. "That was one of our past lives. I saw us, briefly, just as if the flashes were plucked directly from the pages. It was amazing and sort of explains why both Kurt and I had such a connection to _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_. It was our story."

"Could you read it to us?" Santana asked.

"I'd love to," Blaine said. He hadn't really shared any of the story with anyone before. It was almost like a sacred text to him, similar to how Kurt's journals were. And now, now he wanted to share that story with his family. He'd have to censor some of the parts, but he knew they'd understand.

That night, after they had returned back to the house after eating, Blaine started the story.

" _Blaine stood with his back pressed against the solid wood of his wardrobe. He tried to quiet his breathing and heartbeat as he strained to hear what was going on outside of his room. He could hear the sounds of swords clashing as his father's knights fought against the invading cavalry. He wondered where his father, mother, and older brother were. He wished he could be with them, but it was too risky to try to leave the safety of his wardrobe. His father had told him to hide, so he was going to be a good boy and follow directions._ "

Over the next several years, the family grew closer together. Blaine and Elliot's relationship grew the most. By the time they moved to Venice, they felt closer than either one had to their biological brothers. When it was time to move to Vienna, the two were inseparable. At the universities they attended, they both studied music. Elliot was able to translate the pieces they composed together into any language, and their pieces were becoming quite popular. Knowing that they would live for a long time, they decided early on to compose under pseudonyms.

Blaine felt the constant bond with Kurt, too. It had grown even stronger after his trip to Domus Civita. He could now almost hear what his soulmate was saying through a new feeling in their bond. Life wasn't perfect by any means. Perfect would mean Kurt was in his arms. However, if this was how things had to be for now, life was pretty great.


	16. Vienna to Edinburgh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Google was my best friend when drafting this chapter. My search history could for sure be that meme that was floating around Tumblr a couple of weeks ago that showed what writers search bar history looks like…you'll see when you read on. All of that being said, I made things fit how I wanted them to, and there are probably inaccuracies in how some characters are portrayed and places within cities. This is fiction after all, so I just made the situations and places work for my purposes.

After 13 uneventful years in Vienna, the family arrived in Budapest in 1795, just days after Ignac Martinovics and several other Jacobin leaders were executed on "The Field of Blood." The lingering smell from the beheadings was overwhelming to the family and was making them hungrier than usual. Their first few nights in a new place were always spent using the jars, and this time, they were very glad. By the time the smell had faded, the family had found where they would have dinner each night and discussed their individual plans while in the city.

Blaine had been thinking about what he wanted to do ever since coming to the city, and for some reason, he started to think about a couple he met from China several years ago.

_It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Venice that found Elliot and Blaine strolling around the Giardini Papadopoli park when they heard a man and woman talking to each other loudly._

" _What are they saying?" he asked his friend._

" _They're lost," Elliot said, "and they're definitely not from around here."_

" _Should we go help them?" Blaine asked, sensing that it was the right thing to do._

" _I think we should," Elliot replied, and they made their way to the couple._

" _Excuse me," Elliot said in flawless Mandarin. "I couldn't help but overhear that you're lost. Where exactly are you looking to be?"_

" _We're looking for a shop, though I cannot remember the name that the woman at the hotel gave us, where we can get our sacred statue repaired," the man said._

" _My name is Elliot," he said, introducing himself. "This is my brother, Blaine. Could we help you find the shop you're looking for?"_

" _I am Wang Shu," the name said. "And, this is my wife, Ying Yue Jiang. We'd be very grateful if you would help us. This statue is very important to us. It got damaged on our ship, and we won't be here for long before we are back on our way home."_

_Elliot nodded in understanding and then translated all that Wang had said for Blaine. He had no idea where this shop might be and really hoped his brother did._

" _I think it's on the other side of the Rio Novo in the Piazzale Roma," Blaine said as he pointed across the waterway toward the Piazzale._

_Elliot told Wang and Ying Yue what Blaine had said, and the group walked in that direction._

" _You speak our native language, and your brother does not?" Wang asked as they walked._

" _No," Elliot chuckled. "I know many languages; it's a bit of a hobby of mine you could say. Blaine is very well versed in music and politics, though. He knows a few languages, though not nearly as many as I do. Do either of you speak any Italian?"_

" _We can both speak a very, very little," Ying Yue said, speaking for the first time. "It's actually a blessing that we were in the park at the same time and arguing about where it was we were supposed to go."_

" _Fate certainly has a wonderful way of putting the people we need in our lives right when we need them," Elliot replied and gave a soft glance to his brother. He translated for Blaine what was being said once more and then laughed when Blaine responded._

" _It sure as hell does," Blaine said. "Fate knew I would need you and has put all of my family and my soulmate in my life. Even if I can't always understand it at the time, Fate has a reason for everyone and everything."_

" _My brother agrees," Elliot said to the couple. "The shops should just be up here a little ways more. Would you like us to come in with you to help translate?"_

" _We've imposed upon you for far too long," Wang said._

" _It's not imposition at all, I assure you," Elliot replied. "We love to learn about new things, people, and cultures, and like I said, language is sort of my thing; you'd really be doing me a favor by letting me practice my Mandarin. I don't get a whole lot of chances to do so around here."_

" _I don't imagine you do," Ying Yue replied with a soft giggle._

" _As long as you're sure you don't mind," Wang said. "The help would actually be greatly appreciated."_

_They walked for a couple more minutes until they were in front of the correct shop. Elliot led the way in, and Blaine came in last. He listened, not understanding a word that was being said by the couple but taking everything in when Elliot translated to the shop owner. It seemed that their Buddha had broken during the trip, and they had asked the shop owner if it could be repaired. The shop owner said that he thought it might be able to be repaired by using gold as an adhesive if that was something the couple was amiable to. He explained that it was something that the Japanese had used and felt that it was the only safe way he knew to repair it. The couple agreed, and the shop owner said it would take him a few hours to complete and that they could pick it up the following morning when the shop opened._

_Elliot and Blaine asked the couple if they had any plans for the remainder of their day and how long they were staying in Venice. They replied that they had no plans and that their ship would be leaving in three days._

" _Elliot," Blaine asked. "Could you ask Wang and Ying Yue if it would be okay for me to ask them a few questions about their statue and how it was made?"_

" _My brother wanted me to ask if he could ask some questions about the statue and how it is made," Elliot asked Wang and Ying Yue._

" _Of course," they replied at the same time._

" _Let's go find a place to sit, and we can talk there," Elliot offered and led them to a park that wasn't terribly busy at this time of day and had a lot of shade from the sun._

_The group talked for about an hour about the intricacies of carving jade and where more information might be found. Wang told Blaine that his father-in-law had carved the jade Buddha as a wedding gift for the couple as a symbol of protection and courage. He stated that starting off in a new relationship is never as easy as it could be, and that it can be very scary. The protection Buddha was a gift to help watch over them in their new life, and that even today, when they were lost, Buddha made sure they were protected._

" _That's fascinating," Blaine said after Elliot translated for him. "Do you think it would be okay to give me your father-in-law's information so that I can correspond with him, with Elliot's help of course, for materials? I think that I might like to try to carve my own items. I think I might even make a protection Buddha as a memory of this encounter with the two of you."_

_Elliot asked Wang and Ying Yue what Blaine had asked him. They agreed that Mingyu Jiang would more than likely be happy to help Blaine out._

" _Jade can be very expensive to purchase, as are the tools that are required to do the carving," Ying Yue stated._

" _I will let him know, though he has some money saved up, just waiting to find a purpose to spend it on," Elliot replied, knowing that they had no issues with money in the least._

_Wang and Ying Yue thanked Blaine and Elliot for their help, and after Elliot offered to meet them back at the shop the next morning to pick up their Buddha, the group said goodbye. With Elliot's help, Blaine wrote to Mingyu that night, asking him to send a piece of jade and a specific list of what tools were needed to carve with, letting Mingyu know how much he would appreciate it. Blaine also enclosed more than enough money to pay for the material, the cost to ship it to him, and a little extra for the trouble._

_It would be years before Blaine would actually do anything with the jade and tool list he was sent just a month later._

* * *

As Blaine finished reminiscing, he decided to head home from his walk around town and ask Elliot to help him compose a letter, hoping that the shop of Mingyu Jiang had been handed down to a family member, and they had stayed in the business. First, though, he needed to do some research as to what kinds of materials he wanted to work with.

Blaine, with the help of Elliot to translate the texts that he wasn't able to read, decided that the most appealing looking minerals he wanted to work with were amber, jade, malachite, and onyx. He was amazed at all of the different colors and types of minerals there were out there, and something about these four in particular were standing out to him. He honestly didn't have anything concrete in mind as to what he wanted to do with them; he just felt like this was his next adventure.

Elliot asked Blaine if this was an adventure they could go on together. Blaine was so happy to have this opportunity to work side by side with his brother on yet another thing that they could enjoy together. They even talked about how they could sing while they worked and not lose those skills while honing a new one. Elliot and Blaine penned a letter to the Jiang shop, asking the merchant to send their finest amber, jade, malachite, and onyx in varying colors if possible. They added in the letter that if this was not a shop which provided these items anymore, could they please pass the letter along to someone who did this work. Within a few months of them settling in Budapest, the minerals arrived.

After opening the shipment, Blaine was glad that he had asked for so much in so many different colors. He had sent enough extra to make sure that the man gave him quality materials and was pleased to note that the Jiang family was still running the business. Blaine and Elliot had purchased a shop where they could house their tools and supplies and started to carve very simple items to begin with.

It was just a couple of months later that Blaine and Elliot had enough items to open up their shop and start selling their creations. To their surprise, they sold quite well. People even started making requests for items. Blaine developed quite a skill for intricate mandalas and pendants, while Elliot was better with animals and various religious symbols. The brothers loved being able to spend so much time together and composed song upon song as they carved.

About a year after they started their carving business, Blaine had a dream. A very, very nice dream. Well, it wasn't so much of a dream as it was a memory.

_Blaine and Kurt were laying on Kurt's bed completely naked. For several minutes, the two just kissed passionately. Kurt traced Blaine's lips with his tongue, and when Blaine gasped at the sensation, Kurt gently placed his tongue inside Blaine's mouth. They kissed for what seemed like forever, but in reality was only mere minutes, before they were both gasping for air._

_"I want you inside me, my love," Kurt said._

_"Show me what to do," Blaine pleaded, loving the sound of being connected to his lover._

_They lay down on the bed, and Kurt reached for a vial of something from the nightstand next to his bed. "Have you ever touched yourself here, Blaine?" Kurt asked, gently touching Blaine's hole with his index finger._

_Blaine shook his head. "I have made myself hard, thinking about you, but I've never touched myself there."_

_"That's what you will need to do to prepare me for you," Kurt explained, glad that his love had thought of him while he masturbated. "You will cover your fingers in the oil and then, one at a time, insert them into me until I am loose enough to accommodate your girth."_

_"Won't that hurt you?" Blaine asked, unsure how he would ever fit._

_"It might at first," Kurt replied. "I have touched myself here, though, thinking about you when I do so. It won't take me long to relax and be ready for you. I've dreamt of this moment for so long; please…any amount of pain will be well worth it. I promise."_

_Blaine coated his index finger in the oil and then rubbed it around Kurt's hole, getting him used to his touch there. Kurt was looking at him with such trust and adoration; Blaine knew at that moment that he would never hurt this man, and he would love him until the last bit of breath left his lungs. Blaine slowly inserted his finger, loving the warmth and tightness that was now surrounding him._

_"Now, move it in and out, slowly at first then you can increase the speed," Kurt instructed. He felt like he was being somewhat clinical in his description, but he knew that this was all new to his love. He wanted to make sure it was good for them both._

_Blaine listened to his instructions and when Kurt told him to, he added another finger. After he added the third, he brushed up against something inside of Kurt which had him moaning in pleasure._

_"Do that again, my love," Kurt panted. Blaine obliged and continued to rub the spot for a few more strokes. "Please, please cover your cock in the oil and put it in me. I am ready for you."_

_Blaine did as he was told. He positioned himself above Kurt, and just like he did with his finger, he slowly entered his love. The grip around him was like nothing he had ever imagined. It was perfect._

_The stretch for Kurt took a little bit to get used to, but once Blaine was seated, the fullness and connection was almost enough to make him spill his seed without any further stimulation._

_"You need to move in and out of me," Kurt said. "You feel so good inside of me, my love."_

_Blaine began to experimentally move his hips, pumping himself in and out of Kurt. It felt so good. Better than anything had ever felt in his life. He was about to ask if it felt this good for Kurt when his love moaned in ecstasy._

_"Touch me, please, Blaine," Kurt whimpered._

_Blaine held himself up with one arm and grabbed around his lover's leaking cock, matching his strokes to the tempo of his hips. Without warning, Kurt came with a shout and in doing so, clamped down on Blaine, whose orgasm hit him like a hurricane. When Blaine had finished, he collapsed on top of Kurt, unable to hold himself up anymore._

Blaine woke up with a start, shouting Kurt's name and cumming all over himself. His hand automatically went down to touch his hole, just how Kurt's had before Kurt began instructing him how to prepare him. He had never really thought about taking anything besides Kurt inside of him, but just then, an idea came to him. _I can carve something that is just like him. That's why I was drawn to Wang and Ying Yue all those years ago. That's why I was meant to carve. It's just a way that I can be closer to Kurt until he comes back to me._

Before falling back asleep, Blaine cleaned himself up and thought of Kurt, more specifically his very hard, beautiful, long cock. He was suddenly thankful that he and Elliot had branched out into carving other materials, because he knew not only would Rose Quartz be the best for cleaning afterward, it would also be malleable enough to carve and get the details he wanted. He was thankful that, also, he didn't have any special orders to work on right then and that their stock was pretty well built up. He could spend his time working on Kurt's cock replica and not have anything else to worry about…or so he thought.

"What in the world are you trying to make?" Elliot asked with a smirk.

"Umm…" Blaine said, flustered that he'd messed up yet again and set aside the materials he had been working with. He'd likely be able to use them again for some other project. "A…ummm…cock?" Blaine offered. He knew he couldn't lie to his brother.

"A cock?" Elliot said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, okay," Blaine admitted. "I had a dream the other night. Well, more of a memory dream? Anyway, it was of Kurt's and my first time. I woke up wanting nothing more than to make a Rose Quartz cock replica of him, so I could use it on myself."

"Wow," Elliot said. "That was a whole lot of information to receive in 15 seconds. I'm taking it it's not going well?" He was pointing to the pile of scraps that looked like they could be what Blaine was describing.

"Each time I try to envision it, something just doesn't go right," Blaine admitted.

"Have you tried tapping into your bond?" Elliot suggested. "Maybe Kurt could help guide your hand?"

"You are a genius!" Blaine said and jumped up to hug his brother. "I'm going to try that now. Unless you need me for anything?"

"Nope," Elliot replied. "I was just checking to see what you were working on so diligently back here. I'll let you get back to Kurt's cock. You never know; we might be able to sell those if you're successful."

Fire ripped through their bond, and Blaine yelled, "NO! I…I don't think Kurt would like that at all."

"I didn't mean to use his cock to replicate them," Elliot said with his hands up in defense. "I most certainly don't want to be holding my brother's mate's dick in my hands. I just meant we could use the overall idea."

The fire toned down to a warm reassurance that Kurt was there, and he wasn't upset, more embarrassed than anything right now. "Okay, Elliot. We'll see." For the remainder of the day, Blaine used their bond to guide him in creating the perfect replica of Kurt's glorious cock. He had tears in his eyes as he finished it. It was something tangible of his mate and somehow made him feel that much closer to him.

That night at home, after he had fed and was in his room, Blaine thought back to their first time. He closed his eyes and imagined that Kurt was there, doing each and every thing that Blaine had done to him the night they made love. The sensations were odd at first, and when Kurt used their bond to help Blaine find that little bundle that would make him feel invincible, he grabbed the Rose Quartz, lubed it up, and then slowly inserted it in himself.

"Kuuuuurrrrtttt," Blaine moaned out in ecstasy. The warmth of the tether was almost scorching, though not in an angry way. It almost felt like Kurt was right there with him, like his body was right on top of his, and they were sharing this experience together. It didn't take Blaine long to climax that night, especially not when their bond helped him angle the Rose Quartz cock right into that same bundle he had felt with his fingers.

"Thank you, love," Blaine panted. "I miss you so much, and I can't wait until you're back here with me."

Over the next several years, the family moved from Budapest to Warsaw to Prague, then to Berlin and Copenhagen. It wasn't until they moved to Stockholm that anything significant happened, and really, they all should have been expecting something to happen after the last time.

The 200th anniversary of Kurt dying happened five years after they moved to Stockholm. The family had kept a close eye on Blaine throughout the year and were all happy when he didn't have any sense that anything bad might happen. On the night of the actual day he died, Blaine fed from 3 women and then used the Rose Quartz cock until he passed out, thanks to the very naughty images he was getting in his head as well as the sensations Kurt was sending through their bond.

* * *

"Thank you for letting me have that connection with him, Caphriel," Kurt said when Blaine had finally fallen asleep.

"You're welcome," Caphriel replied. "We know that this is not only hard on you, but it's hard on him, too. There is a plan and a purpose for keeping you both away from each other so long, and if we can provide you with these little connections to each other, we will. We also know that you have not asked for anything by way of connecting with him. You've taken what we've given you with gratitude."

"I am thankful," Kurt said. "When you told me how long I'd be here, how long we'd be apart, I was worried I wouldn't have any connection to him. Everything you've given us has been a blessing. I trust what you and the All-Knowing are doing. And, getting to watch Blaine blossom and grow is amazing. I might not be able to see it otherwise, if I were standing right there beside him. Sometimes, when you're too close to something, you can't really see it."

"You are very right, Kurt," Caphriel replied with a small smirk. He really liked these two and couldn't wait until he could send Kurt back to Blaine and see how they blossomed.

* * *

After their time was up in Stockholm, the family traveled to Oslo. They enjoyed their time there, all honing skills they had learned before, nobody wanting to learn anything new this time. In 1886, the family traveled to Edinburgh. As they crossed into England, a huge, expectant sensation washed over Blaine. It was bigger than any other sensation he'd ever had besides the one he later learned would be where he learned about he and Kurt's original soulbond.

"Guys," Blaine said after the initial shock of the sensation wore off. "Something huge is going to happen here."

"Can you tell what it is?" Josiah asked.

"No," Blaine answered. "I can't."

When they settled in their house, Blaine decided that he was going to go to the local university while Elliot decided that he was going to work on translating books and write a few stories of his own. During his first day of class, Blaine learned what the sensation he had been feeling was. Just before the professor walked into the room, a tall, good looking brunette sat down beside him and gave him a flirty smile.

"Hello there, handsome," the man said. "I'm Sebastian."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now you can see why my Google history might look a little odd. Such is the life of a fanfic writer. I wanted to share with you the meanings for the names I chose for the couple and father-in-law from China. Recently, my D&D character got married, and the whole relationship was very unexpected and unplanned; but it just worked for her. Anyway, when my character asked her husband-to-be if there was a god or goddess that he followed, this was his response: "As a gladiator, I gave praise to the sun for letting me see another day, even if only to fight, but if we get married at night, I will surely praise the moon!" I have been obsessed with the sun and moon symbolism ever since. Wang Shu is the "god who drives the carriage for the moon in ancient Chinese mythology," Ying Yue means "reflection of the moon," and Jiang means "river." Mingyu means "bright jade," which I just felt fit the story. The actual idea for the Rose Quartz dildo, however, came from a very naughty book a friend let me borrow, the same book that the inspiration for my one-shot "Seven" came from.


	17. Edinburgh Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter takes place from 1886-1893.

Blaine was startled. First of all, this guy was openly flirting with him. That really wasn't that out of the ordinary. Over the years, it had become less and less taboo for people of the same sex to be in relationships with one another. _Wow, times really have changed since I was turned, haven't they?_ What really startled Blaine was that he found someone attractive. Ever since Kurt had died, he hadn't been able to look at another man in that way. Of course, this guy didn't hold a candle to Kurt; nobody ever could.

"I'm Blaine," he said to Sebastian and shook his hand.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Blaine," Sebastian said, still holding Blaine's hand.

Blaine felt a pull on the tether and released Sebastian's hand as if he'd been burned.

* * *

"Caphriel," Kurt whispered.

"Trust your bond, Kurt," he said in response.

Kurt nodded. He wondered if this would be another test for them. After the way the last one had gone in Italy, he was genuinely worried about any tests that the All-Knowing might have for them.

* * *

Blaine turned to face the front of the room, willing the professor to come in. The feeling he got when Sebastian walked into the room confused him more than anything. He had a mate. He could feel his mate, and if he could put a name to what the bond had felt like just moments ago, it would be... scared. Right now, all he wanted was to go home and read Kurt's journal. Sure, he had the whole thing memorized, but there was something about seeing his handwriting that made him feel more connected to his soulmate.

Unfortunately, it was the first class of the day, and Blaine was honestly looking forward to going through this program and learning new things. Just then, the professor walked in, and Blaine breathed a sigh of relief. It would seem that the odds were stacked against him today, though. The professor paired the class off, and Blaine got paired with Sebastian.

"The partner you were just paired with will be your permanent partner throughout the program," Professor Smythe informed them. "You are all enrolled in the medical program and will need a consistent partner throughout the whole thing. If you have any doubts that medicine is what you want to be doing, you need to leave right now."

Blaine heard Sebastian snigger beside him when the professor said this. _I wonder what his problem is_ , Blaine thought. When nobody moved, Professor Smythe continued. He went on and on about what the expectations were of the program and how rigorous the classes would be. Of course, Blaine already knew it would be intense.

He had studied medicine while they were in Warsaw, but that had been almost 80 years ago; Josiah had told him how many advances had been made since then. Besides, he wanted to keep up on his medical knowledge for when Kurt came back to him. He'd be human for, hopefully, 25 years, and Blaine wanted to make sure he had all of the skills and knowledge to help keep him alive.

"Now," Professor Smythe said, bringing Blaine out of his reminiscing, "I want you to get to know your partner. Get to know why they're going into medicine and anything else they want to share with you."

Blaine took a breath to center himself and feel for the tether. He wasn't quite sure what it was about Sebastian, but he knew that something was important about him. How or why he wasn't sure, and that kind of scared him.

"So, Blaine, why do you want to study medicine?" Sebastian asked as Professor Smythe walked by.

"Well," Blaine started, but he never got to finish what he was going to say because he was cut off by Sebastian.

"I was just asking that since Professor Uptight was walking by," Sebastian said.

"Aren't you afraid he's going to hear you and kick you out?" Blaine asked.

"Not really," Sebastian said. He almost seemed worried about something, but Blaine didn't know him well enough yet to ask any probing questions.

"Why are you studying medicine?" Blaine asked.

"My dad is making me 'follow in his footsteps,'" Sebastian said with a mocking tone. "I honestly didn't have a choice."

Blaine bit his lip. He was trying to think of a polite way to ask Sebastian if he was going to actually do the work or if he was going to screw off to piss his dad off. Thankfully, he didn't have to ask.

"I'm not going to screw you over, Blaine," Sebastian said. "I may be pissed at my dad, but I'm not a complete asshole. I promise I'm smart, and I'll work hard, if only so you don't get dragged down because of it."

"Thank you," Blaine said.

The pair continued to talk for the remainder of the class period. Sebastian never apologized for flirting with Blaine, and Blaine never stopped him from flirting further. It seemed like this was just sort of how he was, and who was Blaine to try to change anyone?

That night, Blaine went home and read from Kurt's journal, just like he had wanted to earlier in the day. The day had been confusing for him, and meeting Sebastian made him miss his soulmate even more than normal.

" _My Dearest B,_

_I'm missing you terribly right now. Don't get me wrong; I always miss you, but it's even harder right now for some reason. It is mostly difficult when I spend time with my brother or sister and their families, because it makes me long for a family with you. How I wish we lived in a different world where our love wouldn't have to be hidden away like some secret. Can you imagine the two of us being able to declare our love for each other and not have to hide it or worry about who was looking down on us for it? It's hard to imagine, but I have hope that, someday, this could become real for us. The world is constantly changing, and if I had one wish, it would be that our love would be accepted everywhere and by everyone. That would mean that we are back together, and our time apart would be over. Sometimes, I wish I had a crystal ball that I could look into, and it could tell me all about our future. I know, logically, that our future will be what we make of it, and I can't wait to see what that future will hold._

_I love you with all of my heart. Each night, I look at the stars and send my love for you to them, hoping that when you look up, they will shine down on you, and you can feel that love reflected in them._

_Stay safe until I see you again._

_All my love and adoration,_

_Your Kurt"_

By the end of their first year in medical school, Blaine and Sebastian were very good friends and at the top of their class. Josiah was always willing to help whenever Blaine had a question, too. He loved that his son was taking such an intense interest in medicine and asked him about it one day.

"Well," Blaine said shyly, "Kurt's going to be reborn at some point, right?"

"As far as I can guess, yes he is," Josiah replied.

"He's going to be human," Blaine continued. "And, he's going to be fragile up until I can change him, if that's what he chooses. I want to make sure that, no matter what, he makes it to an age where he can make that choice. I'm not sure what will happen when he's reborn. I have no clue if I'll sense it or be pulled toward him or if it will just be by chance that we cross each other's paths again. I don't know any of that. What I do know is that, however we find each other again, I want to always be able to protect him. If he gets hurt, I want to know how to help him and hope that I don't have to turn him against his will or before he has had a chance to make that decision himself. And no, I don't regret for a single moment you turning me. I love this life. I love that I get to travel, and you have given me the most amazing family. I know that one day, because I'm a vampire, Kurt will be reborn, and I'll be around to fall in love with him all over again. How many people get to say they've done that? How many people have you ever heard of getting to fall in love with the love of their life twice in your long life?"

"Wow," Josiah said, stunned by Blaine's confession. "I'm not quite sure what to say. I will answer you, though. And, I can't think of a single couple I know of that has gotten to fall in love with the same person twice. A thought just occurred to me, too. I wonder if yours and Kurt's love, your amazing, death-defying love, has changed the course of history in some way. Think back to when you were a little boy, before I turned you. Two men would be put to death if they were found together. That was part of why you and Kurt had to keep your love secret. What if, by forming your soulmate bond, you slowly changed the course of how people saw others who wanted to be in a relationship with someone of the same sex?"

"I've thought the same thing from time to time, too," Blaine replied. "I didn't notice it happening at first, but when I really stopped to think about it, I noticed that it's not anything that crosses people's mind anymore. It just is. And honestly, it's not something anyone really chooses, at least it wasn't for me. It's just the way I am, and I always hated that I had to hide it. So, if Kurt's and my soulbond was the reason for that change, then it makes me even more proud and happy that we fell in love all those years ago."

"You're really an extraordinary man, Blaine," Josiah said. "I'm not sure I'd have the strength to carry on like you do without my mate."

"You have to remember, though," Blaine interjected before Josiah could continue too far, "Kurt is with me. Sure, he may not physically be here, but I always feel him. He's always right here with me."

* * *

"Are we the reason the world has slowly changed?" Kurt asked. It honestly wasn't anything he had noticed. He had been so focused on watching over Blaine that he hadn't really paid attention to anything else going on around the world.

"It is," Caphriel answered. "You know that there have been lifetimes you've lived in that were not as tolerant. This one would have been the same without you and Blaine's bond. You two have literally changed this world."

"Wow," Kurt said with tears in his eyes. "Thank you."

"What for?" Caphriel asked.

"When I first came back here, I was a little pissed. I won't lie about that," Kurt said. "I couldn't believe that you sent us somewhere where we'd die so young. And then, when Blaine didn't follow me, I was heartbroken. We've always been right behind each other when we've come here. It took me a while to understand it all. And now, I'm okay with it. I hate that we're apart, sure. At the same time, though, I love what our love has brought to this world."

"I'm going to steal Josiah's line and say, you're really an extraordinary man, Kurt," Caphriel said. "I think that is part of why the All-Knowing chose you and Blaine to be infinites. Not all soulmates are infinites, only a very select handful of people throughout history have been chosen."

"Our love is pretty amazing, isn't it?" Kurt asked as if just realizing how big he and Blaine's love really was.

"It really is," Caphriel answered. He knew all of the lifetimes the two would live. He knew they would have ups and downs, and he knew that they would have trials and successes. He also knew that, above all of that, they would have the deepest love ever known anywhere in any reality.

* * *

During their second year of medical school, Blaine finally found out who Sebastian's dad was and why he disliked him so much. The conversation happened one day when they were studying in the library.

"What is your family like?" Sebastian asked.

Blaine was sort of taken aback. They didn't really talk about their families, mainly because Blaine was the one who always brought it up, and Sebastian always changed the subject. "My family is pretty amazing," Blaine said with a smile. It always made him insanely happy to think about them. "Why do you ask?"

"My family sucks," Sebastian said bluntly. "For starters, it should come as no surprise at all that I like guys. My dad, though, said he'd rather me love anyone but another man. It's kind of why I come on so strong to men; it's a way I can get back at him. I know that nobody has a problem with it but him, and it's something I can't figure out."

"Is it any person who loves someone else of the 'same-sex' or is it a 'you' thing?" Blaine asked. He hated that his friend was going through this. Everyone should be able to love who they wanted.

"It's just a 'me' thing," Sebastian answered. "He says it's because he wants me to pass on the Smythe name, and I can't do that if I marry a guy. But it's like, what the fuck, man? There are other ways to have kids and pass a name along. But no, it's the DNA that he's worried about. It's not my fault his sperm only made one kid before it all went away."

"Wait a minute," Blaine said out loud. "Your dad isn't Professor Smythe, is he?"

"The one and only," Sebastian said.

"I really hate that guy," Blaine replied. "First, he's so fucking harsh to his students. Like, it's my first year, and of course I don't know everything. That's why I'm here to learn, you asshole. Then, his pressuring you into doing something you don't want… It's just something I don't have a lot of tolerance for."

"You and me both!" Sebastian said and then they both dissolved into giggles.

"He does know that technology is advancing all of the time, right?" Blaine asked. "Just a couple of years ago, a doctor in California performed artificial insemination for a married couple who couldn't have kids. There are ways to pass your DNA down should you so choose."

"And, if I don't?" Sebastian said, getting at the heart of the matter.

"If you don't want kids, he can't make you," Blaine said adamantly. "He cannot force you to do anything with your body, or bodily fluids, that you don't want to."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Sebastian asked, excitement in his eyes. He hadn't heard of anything like this.

"My father has connections with a few hospitals all over the world," Blaine explained. ""From time to time, I read the articles he's been sent; countries all over the world are passing laws declaring that every person has a right to his or her own body, the only person who can make decisions about what to do with his or her body. No one else can force you to do something you don't want to do, not even your father."

"What's your father's name?" Sebastian asked.

"Josiah Edwards," Blaine replied.

"No fucking way!" Sebastian exclaimed. "He's why I want to be a doctor. The man has made so many medical advances; it's insane. And, he's not very old, either."

_If you only knew_ , Blaine thought. "He is pretty amazing."

"What about the rest of your family?" Sebastian asked.

"My mom is Quinn, and she is one of the most gentle souls you'll ever meet," Blaine said. "My brother's name is Elliot, and he is a genius with languages and music; and my sister, Santana... I don't even know how to describe her as anything but fiery."

"I'd love to meet them all someday," Sebastian said. "They sound a hell of a lot better than my family."

It would be a few years before this came to fruition, though.

* * *

"Why hasn't he mentioned me to Sebastian yet?" Kurt wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure, Kurt," Caphriel answered.

"I guess it would be pretty hard to lay the whole soulmate thing on someone," Kurt rationalized. "Plus, I'm technically dead, and he's a vampire."

"That's a very mature way of looking at the situation," Caphriel said.

"I trust us and our bond; I really do," Kurt said. "There are times, though, that doubt creeps into my mind and heart and makes me wonder if he's moving on without me. Or, that it's too hard to be by himself, and he needs a companion."

"I'm glad you trust your bond, Kurt," Caphriel said. "There might be times that one of you could love another person. Actually, there will be lifetimes that you will love someone else before you find Blaine. That doesn't mean that you won't both end up together. I wish I could show you what all is in store for you; I really do. I think, though, that that would take away some of the trust in your bond."

"It would," Kurt agreed. "I know myself, and if I know something is a guarantee, I sometimes don't work as hard at it as I would if I didn't have that certainty. I think that's maybe why I keep questioning what Blaine is doing down there and our bond so much. I know that I'm going to be reborn and fall in love with him again. I can guess that I'm going to get turned into a vampire at some point in time, and who knows how many years we will get together before we come back here again. I know that we're going to have several more lifetimes to fall in love with each other. Knowing all of this doesn't make missing him any easier. It's been 222 years, and I still have more time before I can go back."

"I can tell how hard this is for you," Caphriel said. "And, I've done all I can do to help make it better."

"I know you have, and I appreciate it all," Kurt said. "Okay. No more worrying about this. It doesn't do anything for me but make me miserable. I can't change it, and it's out of my control right now. What is in my control is what I'm going to focus on."

"That's a really great philosophy, Kurt," Caphriel told him. "It doesn't do well to focus on and perseverate on the things you cannot control. If there is something you can do, within your power, to make a change, by all means, do it. Don't sit by and wait for someone else to do it, or it might never get done. But worrying about your time here isn't in your control, so it's best not to dwell on it."

At that, Kurt sent love radiating through the bond to Blaine and lit up when he saw how his soulmate smiled at absolutely nothing.

* * *

Four more years passed at the university, and it was finally time for Blaine and Sebastian to officially be done with school and become practicing physicians. They had worked so hard over the course of their studies, and they were more than ready to be done. The day they were set to graduate, Blaine woke up with the sense that something big was going to happen, and he knew that it had something to do with Sebastian.

The last several years had been hard for him. He missed Kurt like crazy and read an entry in his journal every night just to feel more connected to him. Kurt's presence never left him, and yet, he found himself wondering from time to time how much longer he'd have to wait for him to return. _Is Sebastian here to keep me company until Kurt returns?_ Blaine thought as he was getting dressed that morning. _Honestly, I know better than to worry about stuff like this. Whatever is going to happen will happen when the time is right. At least Sebastian is pleasant to look at if that is what is meant to happen._

* * *

"Trust our bond," Kurt repeated. He sent the slightest bit of emotion through the tether to let Blaine know that he was there and that he was very proud of him for all of his accomplishments.

Caphriel watched this and was very proud of how Kurt was handling Blaine's thoughts.

* * *

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine whispered into the air as he felt the proud feeling Kurt was sending through their tether. "I have since we first met, and I always will."

The family arrived at the university together and cheered for Blaine when he was pronounced graduated and a full-fledged doctor. Santana sat, watching her brother as he talked to his friends, one boy in particular.

_What in the actual fuck?_ she thought. _How can he have a bond that strong with this guy? The golden soulmate bond is still there, too._

Just as she was about to lay into her brother, spectators be damned, something remarkable happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I found an article on artificial insemination while researching for this chapter. I found it amazing that this was done in 1884, just a few years before this chapter took place. Talk about FATE!


	18. Edinburgh Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There are some historical inaccuracies in this chapter. However, this is a work of fiction…I mean, there are freaking vampires…so just go with it.

"Sebastian," Blaine said, oblivious to his siblings, "these are my parents, Josiah and Quinn."

When Blaine turned to Sebastian, he noticed that his friend wasn't paying any attention to him at all. He was looking right into Elliot's eyes. And, just like that, everything clicked for Blaine. He knew exactly what was happening and why he'd felt a connection to Sebastian since they met. Warmth filled his soulbond with Kurt as he watched his friend and his brother create their own bond.

"No way," he whispered.

"This is really beautiful," Santana said softly, trying to hold back tears. She had been watching their bond form right before her eyes. Ever since she learned about mates and then later about how her gift worked, she had been hoping that someday, she'd get to see one form. Sure, she'd watched her fair share of couples getting together and friendships forming, but she always figured, with vampire mates, the experience might be different. It was, too. The tendrils of the bond from both boys reached out toward each other, and then, when they finally touched, Elliot and Sebastian gasped.

The bond, stretching between the two of them like a creeping vine, seemed to wrap around each one of them, pulling their hearts closer together even though they remained stationary. It was as though someone had planted a seed in each of them that, upon seeing one another, blossomed and grew at lightning speed, twining them together for eternity, even though one of them had no idea what had just happened.

"What just happened?" Sebastian asked which broke everyone out of their momentary awe.

"Umm," Elliot replied, having no idea how to explain what had happened and definitely not wanting to do it here in front of so many people. "Blaine?"

"Guys," Blaine said with a smile. "This is my friend, Sebastian. Sebastian, these are my siblings, Santana and Elliot. Things never worked out before when I tried to arrange a time for you all to meet each other, and now, I know why. Are you busy tomorrow, Sebastian?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Sebastian replied. "I'm actually moving into my own place after I leave here today, so tomorrow, all I had planned to do was unpack."

"Why are you moving?" Elliot asked.

"It's a long story," Sebastian replied. "Basically, my parents suck, and I've been saving all I can to get out as soon as possible. Fortunately, I found a place that I can afford right now, and I already have a job lined out at the hospital with Blaine; so, keeping the place won't be a problem."

"Do you need any help?" Quinn asked.

"I couldn't ask that," Sebastian said with a blush. He had just met these people, and they'd already been nicer to him than his own family ever had been.

"You _didn't_ ask," Josiah replied. "We were just planning on hanging out at home and getting supper together later, anyway. So, if you need help…"

Sebastian looked to Blaine as if to say, " _Are they for real right now?"_

Blaine laughed at his friend and nodded his head, knowing full well that Sebastian wasn't used to people being on his side. He was an ass to most people because if they didn't get close to him, they couldn't hurt him. And, his family had hurt him enough to last a lifetime.

"Honestly," Sebastian said in a quiet voice, not really sure how to respond to such nice people, "I'd love some help. It was probably going to take me the rest of the day to do it by myself. My parents are out of town right now, and when they leave town, they give the servants time off as well."

"They're not even here to see you graduate?" Santana asked, trying her best not to get angry.

"No," he answered. "They left a couple of days ago when classes were all done."

"If you want," Elliot stepped in, "you can tell us about it later. For now, though, do either of you have anything else you'd like to do before we go?"

"I don't," Blaine said. "I've already congratulated everyone I needed to. Sebastian?"

"I'm good, too," he replied. "You're really the only friend I've made, so I'm good to leave as well."

"Okay," Josiah said. "I'd like to go home and change so I can be a little more comfortable to help you move, and then, we'll meet you at your house."

"Thank you," Sebastian said. He knew that Blaine was a good person and that he was always nice to Sebastian, no matter how much he flirted with him or was an ass to everyone else. It never occurred to him, though, that there were other genuinely good people in the world. All he had ever known was never living up to his parents' standards and being a failure.

"You're welcome, Sebastian," Quinn said in a motherly tone. "We'll see you in about an hour."

When Blaine and his family were a ways away and finally in their motor, Elliot broke the silence.

"He's my mate," he said with a whisper and a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, son," Josiah said with a smile on his face, too.

"That was the coolest thing to watch," Santana said. "You two are definitely mates."

"Ever since I met him," Blaine said, "I've felt like he was important somehow. The last couple of years have been confusing for me, because I couldn't figure it out. I could sense—something—and I just couldn't place it. Even just this morning, I was wondering if he was meant to be some sort of companion for me until Kurt was reborn. But even that didn't feel right. And, every time I tried to set up a time for you all to meet him, something happened to get in the way. I guess that was just Fate not wanting Elliot and Sebastian to meet until today."

"I'm glad that we met today and not earlier," Elliot replied. "Something just feels right about today."

"I'll have to get in touch with Dad and Percival," Josiah said with a sly smirk. "Thankfully, they haven't crossed over to the United States yet. That is something we'll all want to discuss at a later date, though."

"How soon do you think they could be here?" Elliot asked with the same smirk. He was anxious/excited to talk with his mate about who and what he was, but he knew that Matthew and Percival would need to meet him first.

It was just about that time that they pulled up to the house, and a surprise was waiting for them when they walked into the house. There in the middle of the room stood none other than Matthew and Percival Edwards. Blaine ran up to Matthew first and hugged him. He really had grown to love his grandfather over the years and always enjoyed when he got to spend time with him. When he released his grandfather, he went to his uncle and hugged him, too.

"What are you guys doing here?" Blaine asked.

"Surprise!" his whole family said at the same time.

Blaine turned around. "You all knew?"

"Blaine," Elliot said. "You've been working so hard the past six years, and we all know why. None of us know when Kurt is coming back, and you want to be prepared. When we all met up last year, you couldn't be there because you had schoolwork to do. So, we all decided then that when you graduated, it would be a family affair."

"You are all the most amazing family in the world," Blaine said with tears in his eyes. "The only thing that could make this day better would be if Santana met her mate and mine came back to me."

"You met your mate today?" Matthew asked Elliot.

"I did," Elliot said with a shy smile. "He just finished the same program that Blaine did, and we were all introduced to him after the ceremony."

"Speaking of the ceremony," Percival interjected. "Congratulations, Blaine."

"Thank you," Blaine said. "How long are you guys staying for?"

"Well, our plans may have just changed a little bit if Elliot has met his mate," Matthew replied. "Does he know anything about what you are, Blaine? What we are?"

"No," Blaine said. "Not as far as I can tell. I've never brought it up with him. We are actually going to go meet up with him shortly. His family is awful, and he's moving out on his own while they are out of the house. He was going to do it all by himself, so we offered to help."

"Would you both mind coming to meet him?" Elliot asked. "It's not that I want or need to tell him about what we are right away. It's just…"

"You want to be with your mate," Percival finished for him. "We understand, and we'd love to meet him. Blaine, did you get any senses off of him? Quinn, Santana, do either of you have anything you can offer?"

Blaine related to his grandfather and uncle what he had told the rest of them about the sense he had gotten from Sebastian when they had first met.

"All I was picking up from him was confusion, awe, and some anger," Quinn replied. "The confusion and awe were when we were offering to help him, almost like he'd never been supported or helped in his life. And, the anger was mainly when he was talking about his family."

"I saw their bond form," Santana said. "It was like two magnets were being pulled together. It was beautiful. I've seen unhealthy bonds form between two people; theirs wasn't anything like that. And, this was something I didn't mention earlier: he has a familial bond to each of us now, too. The moment Elliot recognized him as his mate, a bond was formed with the rest of us."

"Well, okay then," Matthew replied. "Let's all get changed, so we can go help your mate move."

The family all changed into more comfortable clothes and headed to Sebastian's house. They brought an extra motor, not knowing how much he would be moving or what he would be using to move it with. Luckily, they had two now. With so many people living in the house and all having their own interests and hobbies, it just made sense to purchase a second one. When they arrived at Sebastian's house, Blaine could immediately sense that something wasn't right.

"Do you hear that?" Elliot asked and his family nodded.

"He's hurting," Quinn stated. "Not physically hurt or anything like that. He's just very, very sad."

Elliot walked right up to the door and knocked on it. He could hear someone on the other side of the door coming closer to it.

"Who's there?" Sebastian asked, trying to mask his tears.

"It's Blaine," he said, having stepped up right beside his brother, very worried about his friend. He'd never once seen Sebastian cry in the six years that he'd known him. "My family is here, too. Can we come in?"

Sebastian opened the door and let them all into his home. They could tell that he was the only one there and could see that he was holding a letter.

"Blaine," Elliot whispered so quietly that only his family could hear him. "Please… Help him. He doesn't know me yet, and he trusts you."

"Sebastian," Blaine said gently. "What's wrong?"

Without speaking, Sebastian gave Blaine the letter that he was holding.

" _Sebastian,_

_If you refuse to do as you're told, you are no longer welcome here. We already know you're moving out, so this won't be too difficult of a transition. You can take everything in your room as well as your items throughout the house but nothing more. I_ will _take inventory when we get home, and if anything is missing, I will turn you in for theft._

_Your mother insisted that I leave you some money, so included should be enough to cover your first few months on your own. You will be welcome back when you change your ways._

_Sylvester Smythe"_

"Oh, Sebastian," Blaine said upon finishing the letter and hugging his friend.

"Blaine?" Josiah asked.

"Can I let them in on what's going on?" Blaine asked after he let his friend go. "You can trust them, Sebastian. I know you have no reason to do so, but you trust me, and I trust them with my life."

"You can tell them," Sebastian whispered.

"His family has cut him off because he won't conform to do exactly what they want him to do," Blaine said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked.

Sebastian nodded, and Blaine explained to them about his father's reasoning for wanting him to marry a woman, as well as how Sebastian was often treated by his father, including his father's apparent resentment that he couldn't have more kids. His family listened to what Blaine was saying. They had all seen situations far worse than what Sebastian was going through, sure. But this right here, this was one of their own hurting, and none of them would minimize it. His pain was their pain and would not be compared to anyone else's.

Quinn approached Sebastian slowly and hugged him, using her power to very slightly calm his nervous system. He melted into the embrace as she started to speak.

"You will soon learn that not everything is as it seems, and sometimes, really bad things need to happen to allow room for great things to fit into your life. I believe this situation you are finding yourself in is one of those situations. What your family did to you is terrible. I don't deny that at all, nor will I minimize the pain you are feeling. What I will ask you to do, though, is try to open your mind to the possibility that there might be something right around the corner to help fill the void that they will leave."

"Do you really think so?" Sebastian asked, still embracing Quinn.

"I know so," Blaine said. "I can feel it in my bones. You are going to go on to do amazing things, Sebastian. And, if you'll let us, we'll be right there by your side."

"Why though?" Sebastian asked, finally letting go of Quinn. "Besides Blaine, none of you know me. Why would you want to help me?"

"That, my boy, is a tale for another day," Josiah answered. "Today, why don't we get you moved, and maybe tomorrow we can talk."

"Yeah," Sebastian answered. "I want to get the hell out of this house as soon as possible and have them just be a memory."

"How are you planning on getting your belongings to wherever you're moving to?" Percival asked.

Upon hearing his uncle speak, Blaine jumped in to introduce him. "Sebastian, forgive my manners. This is Percival and Matthew, some of my family who came to see me graduate." They exchanged greetings, and then, Sebastian answered Percival's question.

"My parents took the motor when they went out of town, but we still have a carriage and a wagon," Sebastian reported. "I was just going to take a few trips with it. I have more I wanted to take, but I wasn't sure how long I'd have or how many trips I'd be able to take back and forth. Plus, with it being just me, there's only so much I can lift."

"You've got all of us now," Elliot said. "Show us what needs to be taken, and we'll start loading it up. Are the carriage and wagon ready to go? We also have room in our motors. Hopefully, we'll be able to get most of it in one trip, but if not, we'll come back and work until everything you want and need is at your new home."

"Thank you all, so much," Sebastian said. "I really can't express how much this means to me."

"We know," Quinn said with a wide smile and sent the feeling that Sebastian was feeling to her family so they could understand. "Let's get this show on the road."

Between all of the help and various modes of transportation, they were able to get everything Sebastian wanted in one trip. After they had unloaded everything in the house, Sebastian insisted on everyone joining him at the local pub for a meal. They obliged, none of them ready to leave him on his own just yet. After they had seen Sebastian back home safely, all but Matthew went to get their own supper together. They didn't always eat as a family, but on the nights that they did, they felt closer to each other somehow because of how intimate of an experience feeding was.

They arrived home and were greeted by Matthew and Michael, his newest travel companion. The family stayed up, talking a little bit longer that night, mainly discussing how the following day would go with telling Sebastian about them. It was decided, mainly by Elliot, that Blaine would do most of the explaining since he knew Sebastian the best. Quinn would monitor Sebastian's emotions, and at the end, if Sebastian consented to it, Matthew would read him.

Before they went to bed that night, Blaine talked with Elliot alone.

"I'm so happy you've found your mate, Elliot," Blaine said.

"Thank you," Elliot replied. "I am, too. Is this how you always feel?"

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked.

"Like, right now Sebastian isn't right here with me," Elliot started to explain. "I feel like something is missing. But when we're in the same space, it's better, but not completely. Maybe it's because he hasn't accepted the connection? I guess he really can't without knowing what we are, can he? I don't know; I'm rambling. What I do know is that if you feel this all of the time, I hope Kurt comes back soon."

"I think I know what you mean," Blaine said. "Before we consummated our love, I guess you could say, it felt like I could feel him, but he was just out of reach. Our bond was there, but it wasn't fully formed. Now, though, I can feel him always, even though he's not here with me. It's weird and sort of hard to explain, and I'm not sure if it would be the same for you since, from everything we've learned, Kurt's and my bond is different than typical bonds."

"That makes sense," Elliot said. "I'm sure our bond is different than your bond is. You've said that you can feel him, right?" When Blaine nodded that yes, he could feel him, a sensation of happiness and love was sent through their bond. "I can't feel anything that Sebastian is feeling. I just really hope our talk goes well tomorrow."

"I, honestly, wouldn't worry about it much," Blaine said. "I have a good feeling about it all."

Both boys cracked up laughing at this, and when their laughter died down, Blaine spoke again.

"Can you do me a favor?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Anything," Elliot replied.

"Don't forget about me," he requested.

"Never," Elliot said and pulled his brother into a hug. "You are my family, my brother. It's been you and me against the world for so long. How could I ever forget about you?"

"I don't know," Blaine said, hugging Elliot like it was the last time he was ever going to be given the chance to do so. "I guess I just hope I won't be replaced in your life. I know that a new mate is going to take precedence over anything; I really do. I just hope that after your bond has settled, we can still be us. I want us to continue to work on music and carve and do all of the things together we always do. Lately, we haven't done much of that, and most of that is my fault."

"No," Elliot cut in and looked right into his brother's eyes. "Don't you dare apologize for studying so hard. I have never been prouder of you than I am today. You inspire me to want to do my best every day, so no apologizing. We can't always be each other's top priority, and I think we both understand that. We can, however, always make time for the other when they need it. The last few years, I've been doing okay, occupying my own time while you've been becoming an amazing doctor. Now that you're done with school, though, maybe we can have some brother time on your days off?"

"I'd love that, Elliot!" Blaine said and hugged his brother again. "I sometimes get stuck in my own world and can't see what's going on around me very well. Please feel free to pull me back into reality whenever you need me, okay?"

"I promise," Elliot agreed. "Alright, go get some sleep, unless you have other plans," he said wiggling his eyebrows at his younger brother. It was no secret to anyone in the house what Blaine did some nights, especially the nights he was really missing Kurt.

"Shut up," Blaine said and looked away from his brother. "Rest well."

"You too," Elliot replied.

Blaine went into his room and got ready for bed. He pulled out his worn copy of _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ and read from it until he fell asleep and dreamt about the day Kurt would return to him and all of the things they would do together.

"' _Kurt? Is it really you?' he asked, not wanting to believe it. 'I thought you we—'_

_He couldn't speak anymore. Warm, wet lips were on his, pressing firmly against his own, their touch hot as fire. Then, they were gone again, this time touching his cheeks, his nose, his eyes, his forehead._

' _It's me,' Kurt murmured between kisses. 'It's me. I'm here. You're here. I'm just...so...happy.'_

_Blaine laughed a watery chuckle, seeking Kurt's lips blindly with his own, his tongue slipping easily into Kurt's mouth when he found it, kissing him deeply with a passion that had been boiling ever since he'd left home six months before. His hands traced up and down the Prince's body, remembering the curves as exactly as they had been before he left: perfect. He ran his hands up and down Kurt's arms a few times, grasping at his hips to pull him closer, and groaned as their erections rubbed against one another._

' _I missed you so much,' Blaine managed to get out between kisses, keeping his hands firmly on Kurt's hips._

' _I missed you, too,' Kurt replied, pulling Blaine's mouth back to his._

_That was the last thing they said to one another before their clothes started to come off. First, it was shirts, and their warm, solid chests were pressing against one another as the kissing continued, deep and needy. Then, Blaine let his hands slide slowly into the waistband of Kurt's trousers, pulling them down until they puddled around his ankles. Wiggling his hips suggestively, Kurt stepped out of his wedding clothes, not caring a single bit that they were being trampled on."_


	19. Edinburgh Part 3

"I'm really happy for Elliot and Sebastian," Kurt said after Blaine had drifted off to sleep. "I trusted our bond and had faith that the All-Knowing knows what he's doing."

"I'm glad," Caphriel said.

"Will there be other times, in this lifetime or another, that Blaine might love someone else?" Kurt asked. "You probably can't tell me that, and that's okay. If he does, I know that he and I will end up together, and really, that's all that matters. His love for me will always outweigh his love for anyone else."

Caphriel did not affirm or deny anything Kurt just said. He didn't have to. Kurt finally understood and that was what really mattered.

* * *

Blaine woke up the next morning well-rested, just like he did every night he fell asleep to thoughts of Kurt, their shared story, and an amazing orgasm. He stretched awake and got himself ready for the day. When he went downstairs, he was happy to see that his grandfather and uncle hadn't left yet.

"Good morning, everyone," Blaine said as he entered the music room. "Are we planning on talking to Sebastian today?"

"I'd really like that," Elliot replied. "Do you think you could talk to him for me?"

"You asked me that last night, and I already agreed," Blaine said. "Are you too lovestruck to remember? I know him the best, and Sebastian... He's sort of, well, he can be volatile. No, that's not the right word. I'm honestly not sure how he will respond to the news of who and what we are. Quinn, can you be ready just in case? And, maybe we shouldn't have all of us in the same room but just close by?"

"Of course I can be, Blaine," Quinn answered.

"I certainly don't want us all to overwhelm him, even though he's met us all," Matthew stated. "Who do you think he'd be most comfortable with, Blaine?"

"Well, me for sure, and Elliot. And, if Quinn is going to be in the room, let's have Santana, too, to balance out the numbers a little," Blaine answered.

"That's a good plan," Elliot replied. "What time should we invite him over?"

"Let's let him have lunch, and then, we can go get him," Blaine answered.

Waiting was torture for Elliot. He was cleaning the already spotless house, and the third time he snapped at Percival, Blaine decided to leave the house a little earlier than planned and take the long way to Sebastian's. Everyone knew Elliot was nervous, and so, nobody took what he did or said personally.

Standing in front of Sebastian's door, Blaine knocked and waited for someone to answer. It didn't take long before a medium-built, very good-looking, young man opened the door.

"May I help you?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

Elliot's breath hitched as Blaine answered, "We're here to see Sebastian."

"I'm here," Sebastian answered, also slightly out of breath. "We've been working all day to try and get things settled in. I see you've met Claude, my butler/manservant."

"It's nice to meet you, Claude. I'm Blaine, and this is my brother, Elliot."

"Hello, Sirs," Claude answered.

"We came over to see if you wanted to join us at our house for a little bit, Sebastian," Elliot said. "If you're busy, though, we can always come back some other time."

"Please, rescue me from organizing and putting things away for a few hours," Sebastian laughed. "Give me a few moments to go freshen up, and then, I'll be right back down. Claude, please show them to the library."

Elliot and Blaine followed Claude to the library and thanked him when he dismissed himself to go finish unpacking the parlor.

"I was really worried there for a minute," Elliot confessed once they were alone.

"Trust your bond," Blaine said. "Santana saw it form. It's for real. You have to trust that Fate would not do that to you."

"Well, look at what it did to you and Kurt," Elliot rebutted.

"Whatever our lesson or path is, it is not the same for you and Sebastian," Blaine replied. "If there is anything that I have learned from our time apart, it is to trust my bond with Kurt and that there is a reason for all of this separation."

"I'm sorry, Blaine," Elliot replied. "I'm just so damn nervous I'm snapping at you and all of the people I love. I guess… I guess I just want him to want me as much as I already want him."

"He will," Blaine reassured. "I'd know if things were going to go poorly."

Moments later, Sebastian appeared in the library, looking much more put together than he had when they first greeted him.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Elliot and Blaine nodded in agreement, and the trio set off toward the Edwards' house. They made small talk on the way there and asked Sebastian how his first night in his new home had been. Blaine and Elliot were pleased to hear that it had gone well and that he was settling in nicely. Sebastian reported only having three people on his staff, a butler/manservant, a maid, and a cook but that he was enjoying helping out and feeling like a productive person for the first time in his life.

They finally arrived at the Edwards' home, and they led Sebastian into the music room. He looked around at the multitude of instruments while Blaine asked that snacks and tea be brought in for the five of them. Quinn and Santana joined them not long after the tea and snacks had arrived. When there was a natural lull in the conversation, Blaine began talking.

"Sebastian, we asked you here to talk to you about something pretty important and fantastical," he said.

"Are you going to tell me that you're older than you look?" Sebastian asked. "Because I sort of guessed that. You talk like you're from another century sometimes."

Deciding to run with it, he asked Sebastian, "How old do you think I am?"

"I'd guess, if you started at the university when I did at 16... Well, maybe not. I'd say you started around 18, and it took us six years to finish school; so, you're around 24," Sebastian worked out.

"Actually, I'm a little bit older than 24," Blaine answered.

"You can't be much older," Sebastian replied.

"I'm 247 years old, though I stopped aging when I was 20," Blaine stated. "I'll explain how if you'd like to hear."

"Did you bring me here to kill me?" Sebastian asked seriously.

"No; far from it, actually," Blaine answered with a chuckle. "What do you know about vampires?"

"I know that there have always been rumors and tall tales passed around to scare young children into staying indoors at night and not leaving their house without their parent's permission," Sebastian answered. His own father had tried every trick in the book to make his son obey him, no matter how ludicrous it sounded. "I would guess, though, that if they were real and that much of a danger to society, there would be more than just the old poem I was told when I was a kid."

"What if I told you that they _are_ real and that the actual poem goes something like this?"

_Though we are different,  
we vow to protect  
those who among us  
are small and weak yet._

_The dangers that lurk  
in the shadows are many.  
But we, the guardians of shadows  
will shelter the cities._

_In service to those  
that we need the most,  
we'll forever uphold  
and keep strong at our post._

"Are… are you kidding me right now?" Sebastian asked a few moments after Blaine finished reciting the oath. "They're real?"

Blaine smiled widely and a hint of his fangs showed. "Yeah, we're real."

"Wow," Sebastian said in awe. "Um, what does all of this have to do with me?"

"That's actually where I come in," Elliot answered. "Each vampire has a mate, a person with whom they are connected to for all of eternity."

"Is that what I felt?" Sebastian asked, looking at Elliot like he hung the moon and the stars in the night sky.

Elliot smiled so wide that his fangs, too, were peeking out. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"This is so much to wrap my head around. Okay, so let me see if I understand all of this correctly," Sebastian said and took a deep breath. "Vampires are real. You all are vampires. And, Elliot is my life mate. Did I miss anything?"

"You pretty much have it," Quinn said with a small laugh. "I didn't even have to calm him or anything. Your mate is one of a kind, El."

"What do you mean you didn't have to calm me?" Sebastian asked.

"If you're okay, I'd like to have the rest of the family come in for this part," Blaine said.

"That's fine," Sebastian replied hesitantly. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what he had been told, and knowing there were even more vampires in the house started him a bit. When they walked in, though, he relaxed just a little. They were the same ones that had helped him yesterday and were nothing but kind and so generous with their time and assistance.

Matthew, Percival, and Josiah all came into the room seconds after Sebastian agreed to it and sat down in the open seats. Matthew sat by Blaine, Percival by Santana, and Josiah by Quinn.

"We aren't sure how or why, but I was given a gift of sorts when I first became a vampire," Matthew started. He then proceeded to tell his origin story to Sebastian. "When my children reached the age of maturity, they each exhibited powers, too. Percival has the power to manipulate light, Josiah has the power to bestow gifts, and Isabella had the power to perceive and see auras." He then went on to tell Sebastian about how Isabella and her mate, Everard, were no longer alive, and then, all eyes turned to Blaine.

Feeling warmth through their bond, Blaine took a breath and was going to begin to explain his and Kurt's bond when Santana spoke.

"It's ridiculously cool anytime I see him do that," she said to nobody in particular.

"When who does what?" Matthew asked.

"When Kurt sends him something a little extra through their bond," Santana answered, eyes still trained on the bond only she could see, "it lights up the most beautiful golden color, and it seems like it radiates love. It's hard to explain, really, and even though I can't feel it, it seems like I can."

"I actually love that you can see it, Santana," Blaine stated. "It's reassuring that I'm not making it up in my head, you know? Anyway, Sebastian, my mate died before he could get turned." Blaine went on to tell him what they had deduced about him and Kurt being soulmates, that Isabella and Everard were also soulmates, and that only one set of soulmates could live at a time. Because of their bond, he knew that Kurt would one day be reborn, though he had no idea when or where.

"And Santana can see this bond?" Sebastian asked.

"I can see any and all bonds or connections that people have with others," Santana said. "I saw the moment you and Elliot's bond was formed. It was like tendrils from each of you were reaching out for the other, and then, when they connected, you both felt it. I know you did. It was pretty amazing to see."

"Do all of you have gifts, then?" he asked.

"That's where I come in," Josiah stated. "Anyone I turn gets a gift, and it's typically enhanced by something that you already possess, or at least it has been so far. Blaine has the power to sense things before they happen, Elliot can speak any language, Quinn can manipulate people's emotions-but only if she is close in proximity to them-and Santana can see relationships between people. She saw your bond form with Elliot as well as a bond with the rest of us, a familial one. You're already a part of this family, Sebastian."

"Wow," Sebastian replied.

"Do you have any questions?" Elliot asked him gently. "I know it's a lot of information, believe me. And, I had to learn all of this after I was turned."

"So, is that something I'll have to be?" Sebastian asked. "Will I have to be turned?"

"No," Elliot replied immediately. "If you choose to be turned, either myself or Josiah will turn you. You don't have to, though. And, you have a couple of years to decide since it's best to wait until you're 25 unless there's a life or death situation like there was with Blaine and me."

"If I choose not to, what would happen to you?" Sebastian asked.

"I guess that would depend, honestly," Elliot answered. "If I never fed from your blood, I assume I would go on living. Nobody has ever had two mates before, though I suppose it's not wholly unlikely."

"What do you mean if you haven't fed from me?" Sebastian asked, curious and mildly aroused.

Quinn bit back a little giggle, feeling Sebastian's emotions.

"The poem you grew up hearing talks about what we eat, what we need to survive. Blood," Elliot explained. "Before our mates are turned, if they allow us, we can feed from them. But once we do, it's impossible for us to feed from anyone else until they're turned. Somehow, our systems know once they've been turned, and we're able to feed from others; but until then, we're not. So, if you were to allow me to feed from you and then chose to not turn, when you died, I slowly would as well. Which is why," Elliot continued, not giving Sebastian a chance to speak just yet, "you have a couple of years to think about the turning. And, I also want you to think about the feeding, too."

"That's a lot of pressure, huh?" Sebastian asked with a hesitant chuckle. He turned to Quinn, directing his next question to her. "I'm guessing since you have a gift that you're turned?"

"I am," she answered.

"Did Josiah feed from you before you were turned?" Sebastian asked.

"He did," Quinn answered.

"What was it like?"

"Before I tell you, or rather show you, you'll see," she began, "that this is a decision you have to make for yourself, regardless of what I tell you. It's not something to be taken lightly. If you choose to allow this, Elliot will literally be putting his life in your hands, much like your patients will be. I knew immediately what I wanted to do, and if you don't, nobody will fault you, Sebastian. Okay?"

Sebastian nodded that he understood. "I think I know what I want, but I'd also like some time to think about it. I want to be 100 percent certain."

Quinn then searched her mind and sent the feeling of being fed from to Sebastian and Sebastian only. He had to use all of his strength to not moan at how amazing it felt. When she stopped sending the feeling, which honestly only took around 10 seconds, Sebastian opened his eyes. He really only had one more question right then.

"Thank you, Quinn," Sebastian said. "Um, I have one more question, at least one more for right now. I'm sure I'll think of more as they come. Well, maybe two more. First, how long do vampires live? And second, if I choose to be turned when I'm 25, will we all always live together? All of us? What about when Santana meets her mate and Kurt comes back? What happens then?"

"I was turned, so to speak, in 1327. Which makes me 566 years old in vampire years, 591 total years," Matthew answered. "We have no idea how long we will live, either. I don't feel like I've slowed down yet, so that isn't a question I can answer for you, for any of us really."

"As far as when Santana's mate and Kurt come into our lives," Josiah continued, "that's something we'll have to figure out as we go."

"I'm not ready to be apart from my family," Elliot said. "We have come up with a pretty good system to make sure we all have time to ourselves and still have time together."

"I wasn't suggesting that at all," Sebastian replied. Seeing how panicked his mate was- _wow, mate, huh_ -he wanted to clarify his question. "I would never take you away from your family, Elliot. I was just curious if we'd all continue to live in the same house or maybe get a few houses right next to each other. I'm honestly looking forward to having a family that doesn't suck."

"I think," Elliot replied, thankful that his mate clarified what he was thinking, "that it's something we can definitely talk about."

Matthew thought about asking to read Sebastian, but for some reason, he didn't feel like he needed to anymore. Since Santana could see the bond that was formed between him and Elliot, something they didn't have access to when Adrian was around, he decided to trust her gift. He knew that she would have been able to tell if there were "bad" spots in the bond and would question them. Sebastian and Elliot's bond, she'd told them, was pure and strong.

The group spent the next couple of hours talking and getting to know one another. Eventually, Sebastian said that he needed to get home so he could eat and continue to get his house in order. Blaine and Elliot walked him home and enjoyed the fresh air. When they got to his house, Elliot placed a kiss on his cheek and wished him a good night. He and Blaine then walked to The House of Ill-Repute to meet the rest of the family for their own supper.

When they all returned home, they spent time in the music room, singing and playing the instruments they knew, having the most wonderful time together as a family.

"You know," Elliot said. "We could have an amazing band one day if we wanted."

After they all parted for the night, Blaine spent time reading through Kurt's journal.

" _My Dearest B,_

_It's hard being around my brother, seeing him so happy with his family. It bothers me that I might never have that. I know this is something I've talked about before, and I feel it needs repeating at times. I want what they have. I want love and children and not to have my mother pressure me into that with a random woman. I want you._

_When I think of what we could be, what a family with you could look like, I imagine us with a kid or two. Maybe a sweet little boy that we found wandering around, alone and afraid, by the docks, and a cute little girl that we took from the arms of a dying Lady of the Night. We would have the best times together, smiling and laughing, playing games, talking and singing together. We could even teach them about love, how it's something for everyone, no matter if it's between two men, two women, or one of each._

_Someday, maybe, I suppose. Though we will always have to hide, and I suppose, having you in hiding will be better than never having you at all. Even if I were to die tomorrow, I'd die a happy man, knowing I met you and got to share the time I have with you._

_Sometimes, I feel like I was born out of time. I'll just be sitting down to write you a letter or read a book, and I'll suddenly be struck by a feeling that I just don't belong here. It's like there's something greater out there for me, something that I'm always striving for, always reaching for but never quite touching. Maybe, someday, I'll figure out what that is. Maybe, someday, I'll be able to finally touch what I've been reaching for. Until then, though, I'm so glad I've got you._

_You've changed my life, B. You've made me see in color and have hope that maybe, just maybe, there is hope for a hopeless romantic like me to have everything I've ever wanted. Until we meet again, I hope you are doing well and staying safe. I pray for your safety, my love. It isn't lost to me that we have grown up differently, and I have faith that, one day, we will meet again._

_All my love,_

_Kurt_ "

Blaine then sat on his bed, focusing all of his thoughts and emotions on his tether. He sent all of the love that he possessed and hope for the future to Kurt. What he felt back was different than anything he'd felt thus far.

"Please…" he whispered. "Please come back to me, my love."


	20. Edinburgh Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter has a good deal of Sebastian and Elliot interaction, but we also see some very cool new things with Kurt. Again, there are going to be some historical inaccuracies in this story...but we're dealing with VAMPIRES and this is fiction, so just go with it ;)

Kurt enveloped Blaine in love. Had Santana walked in at that moment, she would have seen Blaine's body glowing brighter than it ever had, even when Blaine was at Domus Civita.

"I'm here, love," Kurt said out loud. "I'm here, I love you, and I'll be back with you when I can." He didn't say when that was going to be, though. Kurt knew how long it would be, and it wasn't something he wanted to dwell on.

"Caphriel, please," Kurt begged. He wasn't quite sure what he was asking for, just that he needed something.

"Tell him what he needs to hear, Kurt," Caphriel replied. "He will hear it."

"Blaine, I love you so much. I am so proud of you and everything you've done with your life. You're changing the world, whether you can see it or not. You have so much love to give, and it shows in every note that you play, every piece that you carve, and in every life that you save. You are amazing, and I am so blessed that I am tethered to you for eternity. Trust our bond, Blaine. Trust that we will eventually find ourselves in each other's arms. Trust that our love is bigger than the time we have to spend apart. And, trust that it has a purpose. I love you."

Kurt and Caphriel saw the moment Blaine fell asleep with a smile on his face.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered.

"I… I don't even really know what to say to help you right now, Kurt," Caphriel confessed.

"You don't have to say anything," Kurt replied, lovingly watching Blaine sleep. "I know that this all has a purpose. I know and trust that. I don't need to know what that purpose is, either. This time apart has been, not good by any means, but eye-opening, maybe? It's made me realize that even though, in our past lives, we've had trials and tribulations, we couldn't really see what our love did to the world around us. I get to watch what has happened because we fell in love. And, so does Blaine, to an extent. Our kiss, our love has literally changed this whole world on a scale that I know hasn't been done before. There were previous lives where we had to go through the worst things because we loved each other, and it is so comforting to know that, despite this time we have to be apart, so many others aren't having to suffer the same fate."

"I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it more in the future," Caphriel began. "You are an amazing man, Kurt Hummel. I am blessed beyond measure to be able to see you and Blaine grow and your love change worlds."

Kurt smiled and continued to watch Blaine sleep, a tear falling down his face. _The hardest part is over, my love._

* * *

The next year was bittersweet for Blaine. He loved that his brother had finally found his mate and said mate had agreed to be turned when it was time. It was hard, though, because with their newly found bond, they spent a lot of time with each other.

_"First, thank you for giving me the time I needed to make this decision," Sebastian told Elliot one evening after supper. They had decided to go to the music room, and Elliot had serenaded Sebastian with one of the songs he had written with Blaine. "I think I always knew that I would choose to be with you always, but it wasn't something I wanted to rush into."_

_"I will always do everything in my power to give you what you need, Sebastian," Elliot said. He was so happy that his mate had decided to be turned when he was 25 and live for eternity with him._

_"I know you will, Elliot," he responded. "I will do the same, you know?"_

_"I do know."_

_"I also wanted to talk to you about feeding," Sebastian said with a blush on his face. "I know that it is something that can be very intimate between mates, and it's something I really want. Do you… I mean, I know from Quinn how it can affect me, so do you think that we can, maybe…"_

_"Whatever you need, Sebastian, I will do it."_

_"I want us to be alone when it happens," he said. "We can either be at my house or here, but I want us to be alone and not interrupted. Before that can happen, though, I really want to get to know your body. If it's as intense as Quinn has said it will be, I know that I'm going to want to be as connected to you as possible."_

_"Oh, dear god, please yes!" Elliot said without thinking. "I can ask them to give us some extra time each night when they go out to feed, so we can get to know each other without them here."_

_"What about you?" Sebastian asked. "When will you eat?"_

_"I will use the jars until you're ready," Elliot replied. "I haven't been, but I will now. I won't feel right feeding from someone else now, knowing that you want this with me."_

_"Is it too soon to tell you that I love you?" Sebastian asked._

_"Not at all, because I love you, too!"_

_With those declarations of love, the men shared their first kiss._

_"Holy shit, Elliot," Sebastian panted. "If that's any indication of what our future is going to be like, sign me up right now!"_

_Elliot full-out belly laughed. "Patience, my love. We'll get there, and it will be amazing."_

_That night, Elliot talked to his family, and they were all on board with taking some extra time each evening so that he and Sebastian could get to know each other; and, get to know each other, they did. By the time Sebastian felt comfortable enough to be fed from, their physical relationship was ready to take its next step, too. Elliot entered Sebastian that night for the first time, and their bond had never felt stronger. When Elliot bit down on Sebastian's neck, they both climaxed and knew that their lives would never be the same._

After Sebastian agreed to be turned when he was 25, unless something drastic happened and he needed to be turned before that, the family talked with him about who he wanted to turn him, Josiah or Elliot. In the end, Elliot felt more comfortable with Josiah doing it, which Sebastian was okay with as well.

"It will be cool to have some soft of gift, too," he said jokingly, and the whole family laughed.

"Being turned by Josiah definitely does have it's perks," Blaine replied.

Elliot kept his promise and spent time each week with Blaine. They wrote music, ran in the wilderness, and talked about everything under the sun. Topics of Kurt and Sebastian came up often, and it was good for Blaine to talk about Kurt with someone. He kept his thoughts and feelings to himself for the most part, never wanting to drag people down if he became melancholy. Elliot, though, always wanted to make sure his brother knew that he was there for him and that he would do anything he could to help him while they were separated.

"Have you gotten any sense about when he will be brought back to you?" Elliot asked one sunny Saturday when they were walking through the forest.

"I honestly haven't," Blaine replied. "I know that I will, though, when it happens. I'm hoping that I'll not only sense that something is going to happen, but I wonder if I'll feel any sort of tug on our bond. Or, I wonder if I will feel it at all since we haven't connected in this world yet."

"You are so strong, Blaine," Elliot said. "I don't feel like I tell you enough, but you are the strongest person I know."

"Thanks, Elliot. I don't feel it some days, but other days, I feel all of it. He helps a lot on the days I'm not feeling strong," Blaine replied, pointing to the sky and feeling a surge of warmth run through him.

"I love the smile you get when he does that," Elliot said. "Your face lights up, and you look calm, at peace, whole."

"I feel all of those things when he does it. Don't get me wrong, I love all of you so much. I just… I can't wait until he's back."

"We can't wait either, Blaine."

The next three years went by quickly, and before any of them knew it, Sebastian was turning 25. When he and Elliot talked about his turning, Sebastian had said that he wanted his whole family with him when it happened. The night that it happened, they were all surrounding him, having all kissed his forehead and told him how much they loved him, how excited they were that he was officially joining the family.

Josiah started the turning process after Sebastian and Elliot kissed each other and expressed their love. They took turns sitting with Sebastian; well, all but Elliot. He never left his mate's side. Finally, three days later, Sebastian began to stir.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was his mate. He flung himself off of the bed and into Elliot's waiting arms. When Elliot noticed Sebastian nosing at his neck, he called Josiah over to let Sebastian feed from his wrist, all the while whispering words of love and praise into his ear.

Once Sebastian was fed, everyone left him and Elliot alone for the rest of the day. Sebastian seemed much more affected by the change than the others had.

"I feel the same, yet brand new all at the same time," he said to Elliot as they cuddled on the bed. "I feel whole, actually. It might take me a while to get used to this."

"Take all the time you need, love," Elliot replied and kissed Sebastian senseless for the next several minutes.

Besides eating, Elliot and Sebastian were left alone until Sebastian had fully transitioned into his new life. Quinn stayed nearby just in case. None of them could figure out why the transition was affecting Sebastian so much. None of them but Sebastian himself. It was something he spent a lot of his day thinking about, seeking strength from his mate to be able to talk about what had been happening inside his head and his heart since his change.

Finally, after a week of it just being the two of them, with Josiah joining them once per day, Sebastian was ready to join the rest of the family and talk to them. He knew they were all worried about him; their worry was almost palpable, and he didn't want to be a burden or bother to them ever. Everyone gathered in the music room that morning, drawing the curtains to shield as much sun from Sebastian's still slightly sensitive eyes as they could.

"I have a few things I'd like to say, and if you could all wait to say anything or ask any questions until I'm done, I would really appreciate it," Sebastian said after he'd sat down on the settee, Elliot beside him, holding his hand.

After they all nodded, Sebastian started talking. "Life has never been easy for me. Sort of a shitty thing to say, huh? I know all of your histories, and besides Quinn and Josiah, I probably seem like some ungrateful snob. My father... he was awful. I never said anything before, mostly because I didn't know how big of an asshole he really was until I wasn't around him anymore. As a child, I was always reading, studying something. I longed to play outside with the other kids I would see, and whenever my father caught me looking at them longingly, he would hit me."

There was a collective gasp, but nobody said anything. Quinn was doing what she could to keep an overall calm feeling with the group. Sebastian needed to say whatever it was he needed, and none of them needed to fly off the handle.

"After a while, I stopped looking," Sebastian continued. "I stopped longing. This past week, I know you've all felt all of this, and it took me a few days to really figure out what the root of the problem was. He took my childhood away. I know there's nothing I can do about it, either. Not really, I guess. I can't go back in time and change it. All I know is this," Sebastian said, turning to Elliot for this part. "If or when we ever have kids, I want them to have the best childhood, filled with wonderful experiences and love. I want them to know that they are loved and not a disappointment or a mistake or only there for appearance's sake."

"That's something that we can talk about, love," Elliot said. "I guarantee, though, if we do have children, they will know all of those things. They will be loved and protected beyond measure."

"I have two things I want to ask you, Sebastian, if you're done," Josiah said.

"I am," Sebastian answered. "What's up?"

"We're a musical family, just in case you haven't noticed," Josiah started.

Sebastian laughed, a full belly laugh. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"Well, one thing we've all done, when we have these big feelings, is we sing about it. Or, we just get words out if we can't put them to a tune or something like that. Would you like to give it a try? It sounds like you have some things you'd like to say to your dad. Say them."

_"Have you ever been hated  
All this commotion emotions run deep as oceans, exploding  
Tempers flaring from parents just blow them off and keep going  
Not taking nothing from no one give them hell long as I'm breathing  
Keep kicking ass in the morning and taking names in the evening  
Leave 'em with a taste as sour as vinegar in they mouth  
See they can trigger me, but they'll never figure me out  
Look at me now; I bet you're probably sick of me now  
You selfish prick I hope you fucking burn in hell for this shit  
Remember when Maxie died and you said you wished it was me?  
Well guess what, I am dead, dead to you as can be!"_

"Wow," Sebastian breathed out. "I guess I did have a lot to say to him."

"Love," Elliot said after Sebastian had caught his breath. "Who's Maxie?"

"Oh… um…" Sebastian stuttered. "He was my brother. Maximillian. He, um, he died when we were eight. He got really sick and never got better. It's one of the reasons I wanted to become a doctor. Anyway, Father always compared us to each other. Max was always wanting to read and study, and Father loved him so much. Well, maybe not loved him, I'm not sure he was capable of loving anyone, himself included. But after he died, I heard him telling my mother that he wished I would have died since Max had so much more potential than I did."

The next thing he knew, Sebastian was being wrapped in a loving embrace, several of them. The family held him while he cried and screamed and let out all of the emotions he had been holding in for as long as he could remember.

* * *

Kurt was in tears. "How can anyone be so horrible to their own children? I mean, my mother wasn't the nicest person in the world, but she never, ever treated me like that."

"There will always be good and bad in the world," Caphriel told him. "There isn't a world without it."

"Well, what's the fucking point then?" Kurt yelled. "Why do such good people have to go through the most horrible things?"

"How do you think those good people become so good, Kurt? Nobody is born bad. They go through life, have experiences, and those experiences shape who they become. You, Blaine, Sebastian... Everyone has free will and is able to choose what they do with the experiences they live. Sylvester had his own experiences and chose to interpret them one way, which led him down a path of self-loathing and pain. He, then, chose to take that pain out on those closest to him. Elliot, Blaine, Santana, and Sebastian were dealt not-so-great hands when they were brought into this world, and look at where they are now."

"It's not what we are born with or what we're given; it's what we do with it. It's what we make of it," Kurt repeated. "We're a pretty strong bunch, aren't we?"

"You are," Caphriel answered.

"Do you think you could help me out with something?" Kurt asked with a grin, unshed tears still in his eyes.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

All of them gasped at the same time. It felt as though they'd all be wrapped in a tight, warm hug, except the hug touched their very souls, not their skins. Instantly, they all knew where the sensation was coming from.

"Is that…" Josiah breathed, double-checking what they all knew to be true.

"He can do that?" Santana asked, stunned, looking straight at Blaine. She could see golden tendrils encompassing all of them. It was one of the best things she'd ever felt in her life.

"Apparently," Blaine said with a smile. "I think he wanted you to know that he loves you, too."

"He's amazing. I can tell already, and I've never met him," Sebastian replied.

"Nobody besides Josiah and myself have met him," Blaine replied. "I will agree with you, though; he is amazing."

They all spent a few moments basking in the love from Kurt surrounding them. When it dissipated and only Blaine could feel Kurt through their tether, he broke the silence after they had all taken their seats again.

"What was the other thing you wanted to talk to Sebastian about?" Blaine asked Josiah.

"Are you curious about your power?" Josiah asked Sebastian.

"Yes," Sebastian replied immediately.

"It would appear that you have the gift of age manipulation," Josiah answered. "Now, since I gave it to you, I know about it. This is not a gift that you want to mess with, or there can be some very dire consequences. How are you doing so far?"

"Umm… well… I'm sort of… overwhelmed," Sebastian finally got out. "What does age manipulation mean?"

"For you," Josiah started, "it means you can change your age to be anything you want, older or younger, with no consequences. That means that you'll still have your memories, thoughts, and abilities, regardless of what age you are. So, if you ever want to be younger again, you can." He looked at his wife who gave him a subtle nod. "Quinn and I can take care of you, too. You can have the experiences you missed out on if you want."

"Wow," Sebastian said. "This is a lot to process. I'll think about it for sure, though. And, thank you for the offer. That's sort of amazing."

"I think that's why this gift latched on to you," Josiah replied. "All of our gifts are some sort of amplification of something we already possess. For you, it would seem, not getting a childhood and having to grow up so very quickly seems to be what triggered this gift. Now, your gift has another part to it."

"There's more?" Sebastian asked, shocked. "Being able to change my own age is amazing, and I can't imagine what more I could do with it."

"Well," Josiah said with a smile, "it would seem that you can also manipulate the age of others, though it has limits. From what I can tell-and please don't ask me how I know all of this; I think it just comes as part of my gift. Anyway, from what I can tell, you can manipulate three others plus yourself at any given time. This is where the consequences come in, though. If you try to manipulate the others too far one way or another, there is a chance that they will lose their memories and abilities. Also, I want to remind you of Adrian. I don't foresee this being a problem at all, but please, please do not abuse your power. We love you, Sebastian; all of us do. Yours is a power that could be very tempting to use for evil, especially when it comes to your father."

"I promise you," Sebastian cut in. "I will not do that. My father made his choices, and I am making mine. He isn't worth losing this amazing life you've all given me. I have a family finally, and there isn't anything I can think of that will make me chance losing it."

* * *

"They're going to have a lot of fun with his power, aren't they?" Kurt asked with a huge grin on his face.

Little did Kurt know, the first time he re-met and remembered Blaine, it would be under the guise of Sebastian's power.

"You have no idea, Kurt," a female voice answered him.

"Who are you?" Kurt asked. He'd never seen another being since he entered The Unknown, and standing beside Caphriel was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lyrics used in this chapter are from "Cleanin' Out My Closet" by Eminem. It was on my Spotify playlist as I was writing Sebastian's dad and seemed fitting.
> 
> ***I also want anyone who is reading this to know that updating might not be as scheduled for the next few weeks, though I am going to do my very best. I am gearing up for my first ever NaNoWriMo (if you're not sure what this is go check out their website...it's pretty amazing) and have a feeling that it will be taking up most of my writing time. I PROMISE you, though, this story will get finished. I have a very clear idea of where it’s going to go and how everything is going to happen and I will not stop until it’s done.


	21. Karma

_"You have no idea, Kurt," a female voice answered him._

_"Who are you?" Kurt asked. He'd never seen another being since he entered The Unknown, and standing beside Caphriel was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen._

"I am the one who makes sure that people like Sylvester Smythe get what is coming to them. I am the one who will make sure that your family will have a long and prosperous life. I am the one that, once you are reborn, will make sure that you are well taken care of, Kurt," the woman said.

She really was [beautiful](https://www.flickr.com/gp/189571997@N03/22Q12y&sa=D&ust=1604251114424000&usg=AOvVaw0a9Pb4eV4K1gRubvpR8OXz), too. She stood around 5'8" and was slim though not skinny. Her hair was jet black, and the pixie cut of it made her seem badass yet approachable and kind. Her eyes were a bright green, and Kurt could tell that she could look into someone's soul and know everything about them.

"That sounds like quite the job you have, ma'am."

"It can be, that's for sure. And please, Kurt, call me Karma."

"Holy shit! You're real?" Kurt asked. He was shocked. Of course he'd heard about Karma. Who hadn't? In every lifetime he'd lived, there was some version of her. And now, she was standing right in front of him.

"I mean, I'm very happy to meet you, Karma," Kurt replied, embarrassed for his earlier outburst. "How can you say those things about me, the things about how you know I'm going to be well taken care of when I'm reborn?"

"I can see you, Kurt," she said with a grin on her face. "I've seen every one of your lives you've lived thus far, and I can see the lives you'll live in the future. You are an innately good person, and that goodness is something you share with others, regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. You've been separated from Blaine all this time, and not once have you complained or demanded to be back with him. You're extraordinary, and it's people like you who deserve the best in life. Now, if you were a person who took pleasure in bringing others down, abusing them, making them believe they would be nothing without you in their life, well then... Then, I'd be not nice to you at all. I might let you go on about your life for several years, letting you think you'd won, that you outsmarted me. Then, when you least expected it, I would get you. And, you would have no idea what happened. Your life would be ruined, and you'd only have yourself to blame. Because, as Caphriel said and you understood, people have choices. And, when you choose wrong, you get to deal with me."

"Wow," Kurt gaped. "If I wasn't 100 percent gay, I'd be so turned on right now… Oh my god, I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Caphriel and Karma laughed. "Yes, yes you did, my dear," Karma replied. "And, I take that as one of the highest compliments I've ever received."

"Does your job ever get frustrating?" Kurt asked, wanting desperately to move on from his lack of filter.

"It can," she answered. "When someone is given opportunities by the All-Knowing, even multiple opportunities, and they piss them away time and time again, that's frustrating. It's even more frustrating when they do this out of fear, as if they know what's better for them than the All-Knowing does. So, I step in and drop little hints that maybe they need to open their eyes and change their ways. And, if they still don't, my hints get bigger and bigger until they have no choice left but to listen."

"I sincerely hope that if you ever have to give Blaine and I nudges that we listen," Kurt replied. "You do not seem like someone I want to be on the bad side of."

"I really don't foresee that being a problem, my dear. Now, I must be going. There's a man who looks like he's bathed in Cheeto dust in another time that needs my attention."

And, as quickly as she came, Karma was gone.

"What in the hell is Cheeto dust?" Kurt asked.

"In a different time, in a different reality, you will understand ," Caphriel answered.

* * *

The family finished up their years in Edinburgh and then left for Dublin. Before they left, Sebastian got word that his father had been sent to prison after he struck a student in one of his classes.

"Serves him right," Elliot said. "Nobody should hit their kids. Ever."

* * *

"I get the feeling that this is going to be another one of those world-changing shifts. Sort of how Blaine and I falling in love changed the way the world sees love, how anyone can love who they want without persecution," Kurt said to Caphriel as he watched Sylvester paying for his crimes in prison.

"It is," Caphriel answered. "You know from the lives you've lived that this isn't always the case. There are worlds you've lived in where people continue to hit their children. There might even be lives you and Blaine live that it happens to one of you. However, it will begin sweeping through this world that, if you do it, you will pay a price and a heavy one at that. Karma, she really doesn't like abusers and takes pleasure in doling out their penance."

* * *

While they were in Dublin, Blaine, Sebastian, and Josiah all started off working at the hospital. Thanks to Sebastian's power, nobody questioned their age. Elliot decided on a change of career.

"I want to make a difference this time," he told his family one night as they were walking back from their nightly meal.

"What did you have in mind, Elliot?" Santana asked.

"I think I'd like to study journalism and become a reporter of sorts. It's just... We have so many talents in our family. And, we see things that others don't. I'd love to be a part of making the history that others will read about. I want to expose wrong-doers and lift up those who are making a real difference out there. I want to make sure that if someone is being hurt, someone less fortunate and more vulnerable than the ones doing the harm, that people know about it and are taking a stand."

"I'm in, too," Quinn and Santana said at the same time.

And, that's what they did. They studied journalism at the local college and then were all hired by a rinky-dink local newspaper. They decided that if their names were going to be published, they would have pseudonyms. They weren't ready to have to start defending who they were just yet.

It wasn't long after they started to make a name for themselves, though, that some of the bigger publications took notice. Nobody quite knew how the trio was getting the stories they were, but they all wanted them to work for them. Quinn, Santana, and Elliot wouldn't be persuaded to leave though. They were loyal if nothing else, and they stayed with the paper that had hired them until it was time to move once more.

"Have you guys heard about the new ship that's being built up the coast?" Santana asked Quinn and Elliot one day after work as the family was walking home after their evening meal.

"What ship are you talking about?" Blaine asked.

"Supposedly, it's this huge ship that's going to be sailing to America in a couple of years. It's apparently a big deal," Santana replied.

"Do you know the name of it?" Josiah asked.

" _The Titanic_ ," Santana said.

Blaine gasped, his senses taking over him. "Something-something's not right," he choked out. "When you said that name, I don't-I don't understand what is happening. Something is horribly wrong with that name."

"B," Elliot said and rushed to his brother's side, "let's get you home, and then, maybe we can talk and come up with some sort of game plan."

Once they got home and Quinn had helped Blaine settle his nerves, the three reporters decided to take a trip to Belfast and see if they could glean any news as to why this ship was affecting Blaine the way it was. Nothing had ever been this specific with his power before, but they knew that it was tied to this ship somehow.

While Quinn, Elliot, and Santana were gone, Josiah, Blaine, and Sebastian worked and saved lives. They bonded in ways they weren't able to with the rest of the family there, and they loved all of the time they were getting with each other. Blaine got to know his brother on another level, and Sebastian got to see, without the distraction of his mate, what it was like to really have a father pay attention to him and only him.

For the month that their family was gone, Blaine, Sebastian, and Josiah set up a rotation, sort of how they had first done when Blaine, Elliot, and Josiah moved to Paris, so that Sebastian could have one-on-one time with Josiah. By the time the rest of the family returned, Sebastian was more thankful than ever to be part of this amazing family.

"So, what did you guys learn?" Blaine asked the night his family returned home.

"You're never going to believe this," Elliot said. "The people paying for it, the ones throwing tons of money at it, don't care what it takes; they want it to set sail when they were told it could. Meanwhile, there have been problems, huge problems, that, if left unattended or covered up, could be catastrophic."

"That's why I sensed it," Blaine said. "I know that I can't stop everything I sense. I know that I'm not supposed to stop everything I sense. There's just no way to do that. But there was a reason I sensed this so strongly. I think, guys, I think that we're supposed to do something with this information. This feels like it could have huge implications if we don't."

* * *

Kurt looked to Caphriel, and with a nod of his head, Kurt knew that Blaine was right. This was another one of those things that could change the course of this world for the better. He also knew that since he had this knowledge, he couldn't do anything to interfere. He did not want Karma to come back and visit for that reason. Now, if she just wanted to come back and chat, that was something he'd never turn down.

* * *

Over the next year, Elliot, Santana, and Quinn gathered information. They were about to do something that was so huge their editor was actually afraid it would shut them down if it went wrong. Days before the ship was set to leave Belfast and travel to Southampton, the article came out, and protesters showed up at the building site.

[ _You Will Go Down With This Ship_ ](https://youtu.be/yxdRTaAp5Fw)

_By Henry Redmond, Lucia Haughey, and Lyla Shields_

_As we're sure you've heard by now, there's a ship being built that they're calling unsinkable. You've heard about its size; it's the largest ship built to date. You've heard about its luxurious staterooms. You've heard about how fast it can cross the ocean._

_What you probably haven't heard is how much money it has cost to build it. By the time it is done, this ship will have cost between $7,000,000 and $8,000,000 to build. This is a ton of money, and the investors want their profits._

_You might or might not have heard of the lives that were lost making this ship, some due to not having the proper safety equipment. Nor have you likely heard of the hundreds that were injured. Why would someone work in such conditions, you might ask? People need to support their families, and this is a job that pays fairly well._

_You also might not have heard about all of the problems it's had, especially over the last few weeks. There's been a fire in the hull of the ship that has burned for three weeks, a fire that they've been unable to get under control. We have spoken with metal experts, and they tell us that a fire burning this long and large would compromise the metal of the ship. If the right object were to hit this part of the ship at a precise angle, it could sink the unsinkable._

_Do you know the name of this ship? Do you know what ship we're talking about?_ The Titanic, _a monstrous, one-of-a-kind ship that is set to launch in just a few weeks is the ship we are urgently begging passengers, builders, and investors alike to exercise caution and common sense before letting this ship sail._

_Instead of pushing back the launch date, do you want to know what the people with money and power have done? They've covered the fire up. They know about it, and they know if they don't do something, there is a chance their money could be lost. So, they've ordered that the hull be patched and painted over where the fire has compromised the ship. Those in power, those with the money and the control, they want their investment returned. They honestly don't care what happens after the ship sails as long as it sails on time._

_Are you or a loved one sailing across the sea to America on this ship, on the mighty_ Titanic _? Do you want this on your conscience? Are you willing to take the chance that everything will be smooth seas and that there are no hidden objects floating around out there? If you don't, take a stand._

* * *

"Will you give me any hints as to what that did in the grand scheme of things?" Kurt asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Nope," Caphriel told him with a smile. "I will, however, point out the changes it made in this world as they come."

"One act, no matter how seemingly small, really can change the whole world, can't it?" Kurt asked in awe.

"Oh, Kurt. You above anyone should know how very true that is," Karma answered out of the blue. "Your single kiss with Blaine changed this world. Your love has done extraordinary things. Without that kiss and your love, this world would be much like the one you lived in when you first found Blaine. Your childhood, and some of your adulthood, was tainted, because people couldn't accept that you loved another man. This world was set out to be even worse, but you and Blaine changed that with one simple kiss. No act of love, no act that comes from the heart, no matter how small, is ever, ever a bad thing."

With tears in his eyes, Kurt turned back to watching Blaine and his family change the future of this world.

* * *

The day after the article was published, Elliot, Quinn, and Santana were having a meeting with the manager of _The Titanic_ , planning what to do now that the secret was out. People were very upset, and the press that the article garnered was not positive.

"Push the date back. Get the ship in proper functioning order. Then, you can set sail," Elliot told him.

"Do you have any idea how much that will cost?" the manager asked him.

"How much do you need?" Quinn piped up.

"You can't be serious," the manager gawked.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" she growled at him.

He gave her a number, and they sealed the deal. By the time _The Titanic_ was ready to set sail, the hull was in perfect working order, and the metal had been reinforced to properly fix the damage that was done by the fire.

When Blaine had gotten the sense that something bad was going to happen with the ship, he'd also gotten the sense that the whole family needed to be on it. He'd gone out and bought tickets for all of them the next day.

_"We're headed to New York next, right Josiah?" Blaine asked on one of their "father/son" nights._

_"We are," Josiah replied. "I guess I should really look into ship schedules and get the family some tickets."_

_"I sort of already did," Blaine said. "When I had the sense about_ The Titanic _, I had a secondary sense that we needed to be on it. I can't explain it-and I know you'd never ask me to-but I just know that we need to be on that ship."_

_"Okay, Blaine," Josiah answered, hopefully putting his son at ease. "We should probably start getting things packed up, then. We haven't accumulated a ton of things, and we were going to sail across the ocean regardless; this, however, will put us about a year ahead of schedule, and it wasn't something we were planning for originally. So, we'll just need to start packing now so that we can be ready when it sails."_

_Blaine nodded and hugged his father. He wasn't completely sure why, but his heart felt calmer once he knew he was sailing on this ship to America._

"All of the trunks are ready and loaded on board," Elliot told his family when they pulled into the port where they were set to sail. "Anything tickling your senses, B?"

"No," Blaine said with a grin. "It feels right. It feels like I'm going home somehow, which is weird since America has never been our home."

The rest of the family exchanged looks, wondering if they were getting closer to the day Kurt was coming back to them. They all hoped that they were. All of them wanted Blaine to be happy, and they felt that nothing could make him happier than seeing his soulmate once more.

The trip across the ocean was pleasant. There were no problems, and everyone, even those in the lower class, enjoyed their trip immensely. When the ship docked in New York and Blaine stepped off onto American soil, a sensation went through him, and he took the biggest, deepest breath he had ever taken. He tilted his head to the sky and whispered, "I can feel it's getting closer, my love. I can't wait to see you again." A warmth like none other thus far wrapped around Blaine, and he knew that Kurt was confirming what he already knew in his heart. How long it would be, Blaine didn't know, but he knew that he was closer than ever before. That was all he needed to keep moving forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you have some time, watch the video linked regarding The Titanic. It's very interesting and where I got the information used in the article. When I was brainstorming this chapter one night, simply talking through ideas with my husband, he started going off on how the sinking of the Titanic could have been prevented and inadvertently led me to this video. My original plan was to just have the family have dinner with the captain and slow the ship down. After talking with my husband, though, I had a much bigger idea, which will play out in the following chapters.


	22. Change the World

"They just changed this world, didn't they?" Kurt asked.

"They did," Caphriel answered. "This world would have slowly declined, much like it has in other realities, to the point where the rich had all of the power. And when I say all of the power, I mean _all_ of the power. They would buy legislators and politicians, judges, and senators just to keep the money rolling in. There would even be some countries in these alternate realities where they would have made so much progress that they would start to go backward, just so the people with money and power could keep it, regardless of who they would hurt along the way. By calling attention to what the people with the money wanted to do with the Titanic, people are going to continue to call others out, especially those with money and power, and insist that they do the right thing."

"That's sort of amazing," Kurt replied, astonished.

"They're an amazing group," Caphriel answered.

* * *

Things around the world started to change after the news of the Titanic spread. More and more people were not going to stand for injustices anymore, and they were making their voices heard. Of course, the Edwards clan had a lot to do with this, especially in New York. Elliot, Santana, and Quinn continued to cause waves-exposing dirty dealings and people with too much power-under pseudonyms, of course. The other vampire families also began exposing what they could where they were in the world, too. Soon enough, there seemed to be a balance, and every voice seemed to be being heard.

Blaine, Sebastian, and Josiah continued to work in medicine, making discoveries and passing them off to colleagues as to not have their names in the history books. They still had their nights of fun and family time; that was something that nothing was going to come close to taking away from the family.

Every night, Blaine still read from Kurt's journals. He still missed him immensely. However, the feeling he had when he stepped onto American soil helped ease his longing. He felt closer to Kurt than he ever had with each passing day, and he knew that his love was coming back to him relatively soon.

Life for the Edwards clan kept moving on, everybody extremely happy in their chosen fields of work and study. They loved the freedoms of America and found the people fascinating.

"Should we try something new once we move on from here?" Santana asked Elliot and Quinn one day.

"I'm not sure," Elliot replied.

"We make a really great team and are excellent at what we do," Quinn added.

"We are," Santana agreed. "I guess I just wanted to make sure you guys weren't getting bored or anything is all."

"How about this? If any of us ever want a change, we will be honest with the others," Elliot suggested.

Both of the girls nodded in agreement, and they continued their work as reporters. Every once in a while, they were even hired as private investigators.

A nephew of Josiah wrote to him in early 1920, stating that he was worried about a man who had the potential to do some damage worldwide with the thinking and rhetoric he was trying to get others to buy into. Josiah wrote back to keep an eye on it and asked that he step in should the need arise.

Thankfully, the need didn't arise since the man couldn't get a foothold anywhere for his backward way of thinking. Much like Sebastian's dad, this man had a skewed way of thinking, one that put certain people above others.

* * *

"Is that something you can tell me about?" Kurt asked Caphriel. He had a feeling that something huge had just happened, something even bigger than the Titanic, but he wasn't sure.

"I can," Caphriel replied. "Had you and Blaine never been soulmates so early in history and had they not then done what they did with the Titanic, this man would have come to great power. He would have caused so much death and destruction that he would have made it into the history books. Furthermore, people decades later would have still been spouting his doctrine, thinking that only a certain race and faith were 'right' and that everyone who didn't fit in that perfect little package was to be killed."

"How can someone have that much hate?" Kurt asked, tears streaming down his face at the thought of what could have been, what the world he would have been born back into could have been like.

"Just like Sebastian's dad, something happened to this man, something he never dealt with," Caphriel explained.

"What will happen to him in this reality?" Kurt asked, always the compassionate one.

"I will deal with him when the time is right," Karma said. Neither one of them had heard her come in, but she knew that Kurt would need reassurance about what he had heard.

Kurt got up and went over to hug Karma. "I would not want your job at all," Kurt laughed when he let go of her.

"Some days, it's hard," she said. "I hate seeing people get hurt, especially people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that's where I get to create balance, and that is worth it to me, to right wrongs and to see that justice is being served to those who deserve it."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered.

"You're welcome, Kurt," she said and then was gone in the blink of an eye.

Kurt went over to watch his soulmate and their family continue on with their lives, but before he got too engrossed in it, a thought crossed his mind.

"Caphriel?"

"Yes, Kurt?"

"What was the man's name? The one that they stopped?" Kurt asked.

"Adolf Hitler," Caphriel answered, and he watched as a chill spread through Kurt.

"I wondered if that's who it was," he replied, his face paler than Caphriel had ever seen it. "I suck at history, but I wondered if that's who it was. I hope Karma makes it count."

"She will," Caphriel replied. He knew that Kurt was not a hateful or vengeful person, but he also knew that he was human. What this man had done in so many other realities deserved the harshest of punishments each and every time it was doled out.

Kurt nodded and then watched his love, not speaking another word.

* * *

As the next couple of decades passed, the Edwards family continued to move around. First, they spent time in Florida. They loved the warmth and the ocean, and they honestly could have seen themselves settling down there permanently, just moving around the state every 13 years had it not been for the humidity in the summer.

After Florida, the family moved to the other side of the country to Seattle. They hadn't seen or heard of anywhere in the Midwest that appealed to them, and they really did love being near the ocean. When their time was up in Seattle, they moved down the coast to California; San Francisco to be exact. Once they set foot in the state, Blaine got the feeling that once again, something major was going to happen here.

Elliot and Blaine had been missing music as a career. Not only that, they had really been missing spending a lot of time together. So, when they settled in California in 1964, they decided that they'd do something musical for their time there. What that was going to be, they had no idea, but they really wanted to get back to the first joys they'd ever had with each other.

For the first couple of years, they just played music every day, writing new material and learning even more instruments. It wasn't until 1968 that they knew what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it.

"I want to have a huge festival," Blaine said to his brother. "I want us to invite people to come and sing for a couple of days and just let people live through music. They can be big names or no-names; I don't care as long as they'll play."

"I love that idea, Blaine," Elliot said. "Who are you thinking?"

The two brainstormed and drafted a letter to send out to prospective bands and singers. While they were waiting, they started looking for a location to hold the festival. They knew they wanted it to be outdoors, but they'd need to make sure to have some sort of coverage in case of inclement weather. Once they found the perfect location, they put down a deposit to rent it out.

"Is this crazy?" Elliot asked. "We don't even have any bands who have agreed."

"It might be," Blaine said. "But it feels right. This is something the world needs right now. Music is all about love and expression, and it's something that people from all over should be able to come and experience."

The very next day, they got their first act booked. From there, the acceptances just kept coming in until they had enough bands to play for an hour for two days straight. Next came the advertising.

"What do we want to call it?" Blaine asked.

"Um..." Elliot thought out loud. Several minutes went by with the two of them writing things down on paper and scratching them out until Blaine sat straight up.

"I've got it," he said. "Woodstock!"

"I love it!" Elliot exclaimed.

From then on, Woodstock was their life. Their family was ecstatic to help in any way they could and were more than willing to drop whatever it was they were doing when need be. When a few of the acts had to back out due to other obligations that had come up, Blaine and Elliot had no problem filling their spots.

On the first day of the festival, Blaine got the feeling that something big was going to happen. He didn't tell anyone, though he knew that Quinn could probably sense his anticipation. If she would have asked, he could have easily played it off as nerves for the festival. After the second act finished, Blaine and his family saw what he had been feeling.

"This is it," Blaine whispered, knowing that his family would be the only ones who would hear them.

They all watched as Santana locked eyes with a beautiful blonde coming off of the stage.

"Is this what we looked like?" Sebastian asked Elliot.

"Yes," the rest of the family besides Santana answered.

"This is amazing," Elliot whispered.

When Santana and the blonde girl touched, they both gasped.

"You're mine, aren't you?" the blonde asked.

"How…?" Santana asked.

"I know things nobody else believes," she said. "Now, kiss me."

Once they kissed, they could all feel a new strand in their family bond.

"I'm Brittany, by the way," the blonde said once their lips had finally parted.

"Santana."

"So, when do I get to be like you?" Brittany asked.

"Let's talk about that later," Santana said, looking around and making sure that nobody was listening in on their conversation.

"Okay," Brittany agreed and then turned back to her bandmates. "I'll see you all later. I'm going to go get some sweet lady kisses from this gorgeous girl."

The bandmates all told Brittany goodbye, and neither Santana nor Brittany were seen for the rest of the day.

"That's what I've been feeling since we got into California," Blaine said with a sigh.

"Your time is coming, son," Josiah said, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"I know," Blaine said. "Every now and then I feel the pull. But he's not ready just yet."

The festival was a great success, and Blaine found that while the drugs many of the patrons of the festival partook in didn't affect him, feeding from someone who was under the influence did. It made him feel slightly out of control, and he decided that it wasn't something he liked. Elliot and Sebastian, however, decided they liked it a lot. They had some of the best and loudest sex they'd ever had while high on laced blood, and the rest of the family decided that if this ever happened again, they'd take a weekend trip to the beach.

A few months after the festival marked 300 years that the boys had been apart. That night, Blaine sort of lost it. Not nearly as bad as he did on the anniversary of their first 100 years, but he did drink from three very drugged-up women and spent the night writhing in his bedroom with his jade dildo. He called out to Kurt over and over again, and when he had given himself his fourth orgasm for the night, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

"It won't be long now, Blaine," Kurt told him in his dream. "We're getting closer and closer every passing day. I'm so sorry so much of our time has been spent with us being kept apart. I know, though- Well, I don't know, but I hope that the time after we're reunited will be worth it. Karma... She's assured me that good things always come to good people. And you, my love, are the best of people and deserve all of the good in the world. I love you more than anything, Blaine. I'll see you soon."

The next morning, Blaine woke up, sore all over and feeling something he'd never felt in his life. There was a soft knock on his door, and after he made sure he was covered up, he told whoever was there to come in. It was Elliot, and he had a glass of blood in his hands.

"Drink this," he said. "It will help. Seb and I learned the hard way what a hangover feels like, and Josiah thought that drinking pure blood would help. It did. And, I know what yesterday was, so I figured you might need this."

"You are the best brother in the world," Blaine said and drank the blood as quickly as he could, already feeling better.

"I hate that you two are apart," Elliot whispered. "It… It's not fair. We all have someone, and you… You're the kindest, most generous person I know. Why can't you have this, too?"

"I will," Blaine said. "I know I will, and honestly, seeing all of you find your loves, it just makes me know that my love is worth waiting for. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I know that because I've waited so long, our love is going to be epic. It's going to be the thing that fairy tales are made of."

"Vampire fairy tales?" Elliot asked with an arched brow.

"You better fucking believe it!" Blaine said with a laugh. "I trust in Fate and whatever else it is out there that allows us to find our mates. I know that he will be here sooner than later. I felt it when we stepped off of the Titanic. I'll meet him while we're in the United States. I'm not sure when, but that much I am certain of."

"What do we do until then?" Elliot asked.

"The same thing we've always done," Blaine answered. "We make music, help people, and love each other. We keep this world as safe as we can so that when he comes back, he won't have to worry about all of the bullshit he might have had to worry about if we had stayed in the shadows."

"Hmmm," Elliot said. "Maybe we should write a song about that?"

"We just might have to," Blaine said with a smile.

The next several years went by quickly. They moved to Alaska, which was cold and not very exciting at all; to Hawaii, which they all loved and knew they would come back to visit often; and to Oregon, which was just so-so. Blaine could feel the pull getting a little stronger each year, and then in 2002, it got almost unbearably strong.

"You guys," Blaine said on the first of May. "It's… I think he's coming home soon."

"Your bond is shining brighter, stronger," Santana said as she analyzed the golden band around Blaine.

They all monitored Blaine every day. He reported daily that the pull was even stronger than the day before, and every day, Santana said the band glowed brighter and deeper than the day before. It wasn't until about a week into October that anything really changed besides the gradual things that had been since the year started.

On October 8, 2002, Blaine woke up and screamed. The sensation he had been feeling for the past 90 years felt like it had exploded inside of him. His family came into his room, and while everyone was tending to him, Santana was standing in the back of the room, tears in her eyes.

"Tana?" Brittany asked. Since being turned by Josiah all those years ago, she could pick up and see things that others couldn't. She had visions, fleeting visions, of things that would happen, though she never knew when or how. "They're going to be okay."

"But, their bond..." Santana whispered, and the rest of her family looked at her.

Blaine's face was contorted in pain, and it was then that he finally understood. "It's gone, isn't it?"

Santana could only nod. "I don't understand."

"I think I might," Josiah said quietly. "Your bond with Kurt was because you two had connected. You'd made your soulbond before he died and you turned. Now, it would seem as if it's not there anymore, that he's been reborn. Today. Just a few moments ago to be precise. And now… Now, you have to find him and reform the bond."

Blaine nodded. It was something he had thought about when he ran the infinite number of possibilities through his mind of how their reconnection would go. He knew it was something that could happen, but fuck, it just felt like one more hurdle to jump over.

"Well," Sebastian said, cutting through the tension in the room, "let's go find him."

"Do you really think it will be that easy?" Quinn asked.

"I think it could be," Sebastian replied. "Look, we have Blaine and his ability to feel when something major is going to happen. We have Santana who can see bonds, and while yes, their bond might not be fully formed right now, surely there is something that will reach out to him when they get close to each other. And then, we have Brittany. She can see shit before it happens, and while it might not make sense, it's never been wrong. This is not the end, and I will fuck anybody up who starts to give up now."

The family was stunned silent by Sebastian's impassioned words. Then, they rallied.

"Where do we start?" Blaine asked. _Don't worry, love,_ he thought. _I'm coming._

They decided that the best thing to do was to travel. Go state to state until something was triggered. Since they were vampires, this went much quicker than one would think, and within a week, they were stepping foot into Ohio.

"Stop," Blaine called out. "He's here. He's somewhere in Ohio."

They spent the next few days getting closer and closer to Kurt, Blaine feeling him out like a beacon, like he was a lighthouse bringing Blaine home. Finally, finally, they came to Lima, Ohio, and Blaine took a deep, cleansing breath. His heart finally felt at peace.

The family bought a house near the outskirts of town and then all discussed what they wanted to do. They knew that Kurt was an infant, only weeks old at this point. Blaine wanted to go and knock on every door he could until he found his soulmate, but he knew that would be foolish. In the end, only Josiah, Elliot, and Sebastian worked while the rest of them stayed home and planned. Seb would use his powers, when the time came, to reverse Blaine, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany's ages, and they would grow up with Kurt.

When Blaine finally was able to see Kurt for the first time, he was stunned speechless at the sheer and utter beauty of his soulmate. It was the first day of Kindergarten, and they were in the same class. Blaine had, somehow, ended up sitting right next to Kurt at their desks, and once they were able to talk quietly with their desk mates, he said the first thing he could think of to the beautiful boy.

"Hi," Blaine breathed out and almost jumped for joy at the smile that was looking back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know Woodstock was not in California, but I needed it to be there for the purposes of my story. This is fiction after all. And...can you imagine what this world would be like if history would have happened as I have written it? I mean, I'm sure there would still be bad things that happened, but...I don't know, sometimes I just can't help but wonder...what if, you know?


	23. Birthday Gift

"Hi," the boy replied. "I'm Kurt."

"I'm Blaine," he said, smile never leaving his face.

"Do you know anyone else?" Kurt asked him. It was then that Blaine could see that Kurt was acting shy and didn't seem to know anyone else in the room.

"My cousins are in this class," Blaine said. "Over there. They're all sitting together. That's Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. I'll introduce you to them later if you want. They're all super nice."

"I'd like that," Kurt replied. "I don't really have any friends, so meeting some nice people sounds good."

"Why don't you have any friends?" Blaine asked, his heart breaking for his soulmate.

"I just…" Kurt said and was interrupted by the teacher calling the classroom to attention.

For the rest of the day until recess, Kurt and Blaine listened to the teacher and began really getting to know each other. If Kurt had a question, Blaine rushed to answer it. If Kurt needed something, Blaine got it for him.

At recess, Blaine introduced Kurt to his cousins who all took an instant liking to him and basically hijacked him away from Blaine to play with. This did not make Blaine happy at all. He'd gone years, hundreds of years, without Kurt, and now was his time to spend with him, dammit.

That night when they got home and Sebastian had reversed the aging of the apparent six-year-olds, they all ate and then had a family discussion. Since coming to Ohio and not knowing how long they would be here, they had decided to take a page from Matthew's book and hire donors to be in their service for as long as they wanted to be. They were all compelled during feeding times and were very well taken care of afterward.

"Why did you guys do that today?" Blaine asked once they were all sitting down. His anger had been building all day, and now that they were all fed, it was time to release it.

"You have knowledge that Kurt doesn't," Santana began. "You can't force him to fall in love with you, and by trying to keep him to yourself like you were, it seems like maybe you were doing just that. And, I get the sense that there's something he's hiding, but I can't figure it out."

"He's sad," Brittany replied.

"Why is he sad?" Blaine asked, his heart breaking for his soulmate and not knowing how to fix it.

"I don't know," Brittany said. "I just sense that he is."

"So, you keep him away from me to make him less sad?" Blaine asked, trying to figure out his family's motivations.

"No," Quinn replied. "Blaine, none of us know what you two have gone through. We don't know the loss or the heartbreak. There is no way that we can possibly understand it. What we do understand, though, is that this bond with Kurt hasn't formed yet. Once he was reborn, the old one was severed, and the new one now has to form organically, just like it did the first time. And for that to happen, it can't be forced or coerced or tampered with. It can't be influenced one way or another."

"What are you saying?" Blaine asked, his eyes filling with tears. "You know what? I don't want to know. I finally found him again and can actually sit and talk with him. We knew he was here, but I could never find him before today. For 342 years, I've been in agony over not being with him. I've had to sit and watch while all of you found your soulmates and fell in love and got to actually fucking be together. I know I was connected to Kurt while he was gone, and for that, I will eternally be grateful. We all know, though, that it's not the same thing as being able to reach out and actually touch someone. And today, when I finally, finally found him again in a way that really matters, you want to take him away from me?"

"We don't want to take you away from him," Santana interjected. "I think that maybe he needs to have more than just you in his life, though. You both know--well, you know for sure, and he will know once your soulmate bond is reformed and you can tell him--how your story ends. He showed you while he was gone. For as long as you guys will live, you'll be together."

"You will," Brittany interjected. "You'll have so many happy years and lots of babies."

"And, Kurt seems like he needs people in his corner," Quinn added. "Let us be in that corner with you."

"Son," Josiah said, "I don't pretend to know much about Fate or how it works. What I do know is this: You can't intervene or fight it. Your story, it would seem, is meant to go on and on and on. Don't force this one to happen faster than it's meant to. And, think about it this way: for as long as you two were apart, there will be an infinite number of years that you'll be together in this lifetime and the next. Do you think that's something you can do? Can you let Fate take the reins and lead?"

"I think… I think I need to have some time alone," Blaine said. "I understand everything you all are saying, and I get it. Excuse me, please."

Blaine walked out of the room and up to his bedroom. He knew his brother would be following him, so he didn't close the door all the way. Moments after he sat down, he spoke. "Come in, Elliot."

"Hey," Elliot said after he'd closed the door once more. Before Blaine could say anything else, Elliot walked over to his brother and wrapped him in a hug.

"I know what I think I need to do, and I don't want to do it," Blaine said into Elliot's neck.

"Do you want to sit down and talk about it?" Feeling Blaine's head nod, Elliot brought his arms down and took his brother's hand, leading him over to the love seat that was in his bedroom. "Talk to me, Blaine."

"I think that the girls are right," Blaine said. "I think that if I stay around him, I'm going to push him and sway his decisions, intentionally or not. I'll be jealous and protective and not let him be his own person."

"So, what's your plan?" Elliot asked. He wasn't going to argue with his brother.

Blaine told Elliot and his family what he wanted to do and why. None of them stood in his way, knowing that if this was the path he needed to take, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

The next morning at school, Kurt was sad when his new friend didn't show up. When he asked the girls at recess, they simply told him that Blaine wouldn't be coming back to school. Kurt was sad and cried himself to sleep that night. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about Blaine made his heart happy and feel whole in a way it never had before. He was happy to at least have the girls as his friends.

Over the next few years, Kurt grew to love the girls like sisters. They helped him to feel secure in a way he never had, though he still felt like something-someone, even-was missing.

_"He's fine," Elliot told him one night. "I think maybe he felt the slightest beginnings of your bond, and without it... I don't know. It probably just scared him. He's too young to understand it all. And as much as I hate it, you're doing the right thing."_

_"What if I'm not, though?" Blaine asked._

_"When you left, did it feel wrong?" Elliot asked in response._

_"Every second I'm away from him is wrong," Blaine replied flatly._

_"You know what I mean," Elliot said. "Your powers are strong, and they've never been off. If you were supposed to stay here, they would have let you know."_

_"I know," Blaine whispered._

_"You'll know when it's time to come home permanently, too," Elliot said._

_"I know that, too," Blaine agreed. "I just wish it was now."_

When Kurt was 10, tragedy struck his family.

"Blaine, you need to come home," was all that Josiah had said, and Blaine was on the first flight back to the US. He had been staying with Matthew since he'd left Ohio, and he knew it was--in the long run--for the best, even though it felt like he was dying each and every day he was separated from Kurt. His family would call him each week and tell him what they'd been up to and how Kurt had been doing. He almost lost his resolve when Elliot had told him that the boy had cried himself to sleep for a month after he'd left, asking the dark room what he'd done to drive Blaine away, somehow thinking it was his fault that his friend had left, not understanding the abruptness of his departure.

When Blaine touched down in Columbus, he rented a car and drove as fast as he could without getting pulled over to Lima. He went to Kurt's first and hid behind his house in the trees. It shouldn't have surprised him at all to see Elliot there.

"I should have known you'd find me first," Blaine said and hugged his brother.

"I knew you'd come here before coming home," Elliot said into the hug.

"What happened?" Blaine asked as he looked back at the house.

"His mom is paralyzed," Elliot said. "Hit by a drunk driver. Josiah… He was working that night when they brought her in. But by the time she got there, it was too late. Not even he could mend her."

"When did it happen?" Blaine asked.

"Three days ago," Elliot replied.

"And, how's Kurt been?" Blaine asked.

"He's been about as you'd expect him to be," Elliot answered. "Burt's been about the same. They're having to learn what their new normal will be like. They have to rearrange their entire lives, and I think they're okay with that in lieu of what could have happened. It was almost like there was someone watching over her that night, because from what Josiah said, she should have died, Blaine."

"I can't go back," Blaine said. "I won't interfere in his life until I know it's time, but I can't go back. I'll stay out of sight and guard him from the shadows." It was really hitting Blaine once again just how fragile the human life was. And, he would be damned if anything else happened to the love of his life.

"He's grown really close to the girls, as you know," Elliot said. "Josiah is bringing them over and is going to offer to help Burt however he can."

Blaine just nodded as a fierce protectiveness settled in around him. _Nothing is going to ever hurt you again. Not while I'm around._

That night, after Kurt had gone to bed and was deep in his sleep, Blaine climbed in through his window and knelt down by Kurt's bed. He took in the soft features of his form, and the spark of love that had never left intensified.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here," Blaine whispered. "I promise I'll be here from now on. You won't know I'm here, but I'll be here. I'll protect you and make sure you don't lose anybody else. In all of those dreams I had while you were gone, you always made it seem like we'd be okay in the end, that once you got back, we'd be able to be together. Maybe that was just my wishful thinking, though. I know now that you won't just automatically love me, that we have to fall back in love with each other like we did so many years ago. So, I'm going to step back and let Fate do just that. We're going to eventually fall in love with each other again. Until then, my love, I'll be here."

Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead and then slipped back out of the window. After he made sure Kurt wasn't stirring in his sleep, he went home and was greeted by his family. They were all happy to see him, though nobody really knew what to say to him. Instead of speaking, they hugged him and waited for him to be ready to talk to them. After Blaine showered and ate, he felt like he was ready to do just that.

He went down to the music room, not at all surprised that his family was there, waiting for him. Blaine went and sat beside Elliot, Seb on his other side, and started talking.

"I'm staying here from now on," Blaine said. "I can't be away from him anymore, even if I can't be right with him. My powers have never, ever led me down the wrong path before, and being here feels right. I think, too, that I'll know when it's time for me to re-enter the picture and how to do that. I want to thank all of you for watching over him while I was away. It means more to me than I can say."

"It's been our pleasure," Santana said. "He's quite extraordinary."

"He always has been," Blaine said with a smile.

"The bond is there, you know," Santana said. "It's faint and barely there, though it's not a soulmate bond. And, to be quite honest with you, it's not a bond I've ever seen before. Something, though, is there. And, I wonder if it's your past bond trying to reconnect itself somehow."

"I'll take it," Blaine said. "Anything that links me to him, I'll take."

For the next few years, Blaine did what he had promised Kurt the night he came back. He guarded and protected him from afar, never once interfering in his day to day life. Blaine loved to see the relationship Kurt had with the girls and was thankful that he had them in his life.

The year Kurt turned 13, Blaine got a feeling, a pull from his power. He wasn't sure what it was until it happened; he just knew something was going to happen that year. It was the day of Kurt's birthday that he finally figured it out.

Blaine was sitting in his room, getting ready to go wait behind the trees and watch the little get-together Kurt was having from afar when everything came together. He had been thinking and thinking about something that he could give his soulmate and was coming up blank. Nothing fit. Nothing was good enough or seemed to be the 'right' thing to get for him. As he sat there, looking over the copy of _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_ Kurt had gifted him on his 17th birthday, the feeling he'd had at the beginning of the year coalesced.

He wrapped up Kurt's gift and wrote a letter, wishing he could be there to see him open it and knowing that he'd have to settle for watching from the window. That evening, while Kurt was enjoying his birthday meal with his dad and best friends, Blaine snuck into Kurt's room and laid the gift on his pillow.

After the guests had left, Kurt went to his room to set his gifts down and noticed a small, wrapped package on his bed. He went over and sat down, picked it up, and wondered who had left it there. The thought that someone had been in his room didn't even cross his mind. He opened the letter attached to it first.

" _Kurt,_

_A very important person in my life told me this story when I was very young. When he died, he left me his copy of it, and now, it's something that I want you to have. It's special in ways that I hope you will someday figure out. Until that day can come, though, I hope you will learn to love it as much as I have._

_B_ "

The writing wasn't from anyone he knew, yet he felt like he _did_ know them, like he'd seen it at some point in his life and just couldn't figure out where. Kurt could feel that whatever the gift was, it was monumentally important to him somehow. It was then that he realized that someone _had_ been in his room without him knowing, and for some reason he couldn't explain, it didn't bother him the slightest bit. The familiar yet unfamiliar writing and the gift he knew wasn't from anyone who had been at his party helped him to deduce at least that much. He took a breath and laid the letter down like it was the most precious piece of paper he'd ever held.

When he unwrapped the book, a feeling of déjà vu washed over him as he took in the cover. There were no words on the cover, and when he flipped it open to the first page, he read _Nothing Can Keep Us Apart_. As he looked through the worn book, that sense of déjà vu got even stronger somehow, especially when a particular name caught his attention: Blaine.

"Blaine, I don't know where you are or what you mean to me," Kurt whispered out into the room. "I dream about you all of the time, and I've been told in those dreams that I'll meet you when the time is right. I keep hoping that every morning I wake up after a dream, the time for us to meet will be today. And every night I go to sleep, I do so with a smile on my face, knowing that I'm that much closer to us finding each other."

When Blaine heard this, his soul rejoiced. On some level, Kurt remembered him. Now, it would just be waiting until the right time to reconnect.

Kurt closed the book and put the letter inside of it, wanting to keep it safe. Whoever had sent him this book, whoever B was, he knew that they were important in ways his mind couldn't understand. When he laid down for bed that night, he started to read his new book.

" _Blaine stood with his back pressed against the solid wood of his wardrobe. He tried to quiet his breathing and heartbeat as he strained to hear what was going on outside of his room. He could hear the sounds of swords clashing as his father's knights fought against the invading cavalry. He wondered where his father, mother, and older brother were. He wished he could be with them, but it was too risky to try to leave the safety of his wardrobe. His father had told him to hide, so he was going to be a good boy and follow directions._ "


	24. Surprises

“Did anyone ever ask or find out why Kurt was so sad the first day of school?” Karma asked as she entered the room and stood next to Caphriel.

“They did not,” Caphriel replied. “He had been having dreams about Blaine, though not really seeing Blaine. He was just an idea, a feeling in the dreams. And, he was sad that he wasn’t real. Being that young, I’m not even sure he could have described why he was sad; he just knew he was.”

“How are they doing now?” Karma asked after a few moments.

“As good as can be expected,” Caphriel said as he watched Kurt fall asleep with a smile on his face. “They have a bond still. Santana can see it, though it’s not a bond she knows how to name. Blaine giving Kurt the book was the first step in them really coming back together.”

“What are the next steps?” Karma asked. She had really grown attached to Kurt while he was in The Unknown. It was the reason that his mom had just been paralyzed in that wreck when Kurt was 10. She and the All-Knowing had had a chat, and Karma had come out the winner of that particular discussion. She had argued that Kurt was without one parent or the other in so many other lifetimes, and that he’d technically already lost one in this lifetime. Why couldn’t he have both of them this second time around? The All-Knowing had agreed, and they had compromised.

“You’ll see,” Caphriel grinned.

* * *

Kurt read his new book every single night. There were parts of it that made him blush, even though he had known from a young age that he liked boys. It wasn’t something that anyone around him had a problem with at all. His favorite Disney movie was of two princes who fell in love at a ball and lived happily ever after, ruling the kingdom through the best years it had ever seen. The things in the story that made him blush were the moments when Kurt and Blaine in the story were intimate. He knew that some of the things that were described would be things he would absolutely love, and other things were things that he was afraid to try someday.

The problem with the book, he found, was that it made him want to find that one true love. He had been having more and more dreams, too, that starred a presence he hadn’t thought about in a long time. It was the first morning after it happened that he realized where he’d felt that before. Right before he’d started kindergarten, he had been having dreams about someone, too. And when he’d met his friend that first day, that beautiful boy with the dark curls and the kindest eyes he had ever seen, he’d felt that safe and loved feeling stir in the pit of his stomach.

Kurt wasn’t sure, even then at 13, if what he was feeling was love. In the next few years, though, he would learn that that was exactly what that feeling was.

The first time he was triggered into something--what, he wasn’t sure--was during his sophomore history class when he was 15. They were learning about European history and talking about Rome.

“Many of the older cities around Rome have become tourist attractions because they’ve been able to retain their beauty,” Mr. Westgate said. “The locals have even started renovating and renting out some of the places, making them the place to vacation if you want a unique and authentic experience.”

As Kurt was looking through the textbook, Quinn sitting right next to him, he gasped when he saw a picture of one such city. The city itself wasn’t very big at all. It had an old-world charm to it, and he knew that someday, he’d love to visit there and see it for himself. What he gasped at, though, was that he felt a sense of déjà vu, that he’d been there before. It was strange because Kurt had never left the United States. Sure, they’d traveled a little before his mom got hurt, but since then, they hadn’t.

“You okay?” Quinn asked him, sensing the mixture of feelings coming from him.

“I’ll tell you later,” Kurt replied. “I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Quinn didn’t say anything else. She had seen the picture Kurt had been looking at, and it was a place she knew well. Now, the question was this: should she tell Blaine or not?

That night, Kurt asked Quinn, Santana, and Brittany to come over to his house. The girls all knew that whatever it was that Kurt was going to tell them, Blaine would learn right along with them. They had all been so proud of him since he got back. He had been doing exactly what he promised he would and keeping to the shadows, not interacting with Kurt at all. They all knew how hard it was for him, especially when he was sad or upset about something.

“So…” Kurt started. He had no idea how to really start talking about what he had felt, and he didn’t want his best friends to make fun of him or think he was deranged.

“Kurt,” Quinn said, feeling all of the turmoil going on inside her friend, “you can tell us anything. We’re your best friends, and there is nothing you can say to us that will change that.”

“Everything is going to be okay,” Brittany told him and scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a comforting squeeze.

“Okay,” Kurt said, taking a breath to center himself. “When I turned 13… No, I need to go back farther than that. The day I met you guys, I felt something. It was something that I hadn’t ever felt before outside of my dreams. And back then, it wasn’t something that I had the words to describe or talk about. I used to have dreams about someone. I never saw or heard them; all I did was feel their presence. There was never any time that I’ve ever felt that safe and protected as I did in those dreams. Then, the day I met you three, I met someone else who I felt that with. And then, just as soon as I felt it, it was gone. He was gone.” Kurt stopped to gather his thoughts. He knew he was rambling, and he knew that no matter what, the girls would let him keep talking until he had said everything he needed to.

“When I turned 13, I came up to my bedroom after my party, and there was something on my bed. It was a book. You all know how particular I am about who is in my room, and nobody is ever allowed in here when I’m not. My parents don’t even go in here. Anyway, when I got to my room, there was a package sitting on my bed. And the funny thing was, I wasn’t upset. Not in the slightest little bit. I opened the card that was attached to it and instantly felt more grounded and safer than I’d felt since that day of kindergarten. Inside the package was a book that I’d never read. It was handwritten. Who does that? Anyway, I read the book, and it was about two boys named Kurt and Blaine. I felt… It always makes me feel connected to someone. I don’t know if it’s just because the main character’s name is Kurt and that’s why I feel connected. I don’t know.” Kurt took another deep breath and continued his train of thought.

“I’ve started having the dreams again like I did when I was really young,” Kurt whispered. “I want that. I want that so, so badly, and I know that nothing besides that will ever be enough for me. And, how messed up is that? There is no perfect person out there, no perfect love. But that’s how it feels in the dreams. It feels perfect. It feels safe. What’s wrong with me? I’m conjuring up this unattainable person in my mind, and nobody I ever meet will ever be good enough.”

“Kurt,” Santana said. She didn’t always open up and share her feelings; when she did, though, everyone around her knew they’d better pay attention. “The idea of perfection doesn’t exist. And if that’s what you’re waiting for, you’re probably going to set the rest of your life up for failure.”

“Tana,” Brittany protested. She had no idea what in the hell her mate was trying to do. They all knew perfectly well that Kurt and Blaine were destined to have a beautiful life together. Multiple lifetimes, in fact.

“What I’m trying to say is this,” Santana continued. “No life, no person, no couple is perfect. There is perfection, though, in imperfections. You aren’t perfect. To however you are destined to be with, though, you’ll be perfect for them. You’ll complement each other in a way that you’ll never be able to find with anyone else. He will bring out the very best in you, enhance your strengths just like you’ll enhance his. So, stop looking for Mr. Perfect and keep your heart open for Mr. Perfect for You.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes at his friend’s thoughts and words of wisdom. He nodded his head and completely altered his way of thinking. “Do you really think he’s out there somewhere?”

“I think he’s closer than you think,” Quinn said as she could sense Blaine near, feel that he was bursting with pride and love for his sister.

“Thank you,” the girls all heard him whisper as he ran home, knowing that whatever else they talked about would be between them.

Blaine, for his part, had learned a lot over the past years also. He’d had to walk a fine line between knowing too much and letting Kurt have his own identity. He knew that when they met again, when it was time, that he wanted there to be some things that were new to him. It wouldn’t be fair if he knew everything about his soulmate. He didn’t want that imbalance. So, usually, he gave Kurt his privacy. The only reason he was there today was that he knew something had been bothering Kurt to have asked his three best friends to come over.

“So, what happened today in class?” Quinn asked. “We were in history, and you gasped at the textbook.”

“Something happened that I have no way of explaining,” Kurt said as he recalled the feeling he’d gotten when he saw the picture.

“Can you try, dolphin?” Brittany asked.

Kurt nodded. “We were talking about Rome and the cities around it. About their charm and all of that. I saw a picture of a place that I’ve never been to before, but I felt in the depths of my soul that I had been, you know? Like, a really strong sense of déjà vu.”

“Has anything like that ever happened?” Santana asked. She had noticed that the soulmate bond between Kurt and Blaine had changed since that morning. It had changed after his history class to be precise. She wondered if, somehow, this was part of the road to Kurt and Blaine being reunited. If he might be able to slowly learn and be prepared for what was to come, for what he was inevitably going to recall.

“No,” Kurt said, shaking his head. “Never. I want it to, though. I want… Uggg, I don’t know what I want. I guess what I really want is more of that feeling, that loved feeling. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to find the perfectly imperfect man for me.”

The girls stayed the night and watched movies. After Kurt was asleep, they all talked quietly, wondering how much Blaine had heard and what he was going to do with it. Santana wondered if she should tell them about the bond, too.

After school the following day, Elliot came home and called the whole family into the music room.

“What’s up, El?” Blaine asked.

“Well,” he said as he paced around, “you know how Kurt’s mom was in a wreck, right? She got hit and was paralyzed.”

“Yeah,” they all said, wondering why in the world he was bringing this up now.

“Something about that whole thing never sat well with me,” Elliot said. “I couldn’t tell you what it was or why, just… Something wasn’t right.”

“What did you find out?” Sebastian asked with a glint of smugness in his eye. He loved it when his mate got sneaky. It turned him the fuck on.

“I found out that the man who was driving the semi when he hit Elizabeth’s car lied,” Elliot replied.

“Okay, I have two questions,” Blaine said. “One, how did you find out he lied, and two, what did he lie about?”

“Well, to answer the first question, I have to tell you a little bit more,” Elliot said. He watched as his family got more comfortable, knowing that this had happened a few years ago and that there was going to be a longer than typical explanation.

“Right after it happened, an attorney contacted the Hummels,” Elliot began. “That you guys know about. You know that if they would have continued, they would have been fighting this battle for years. Burt didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to drag Elizabeth through that and waste so much money, knowing that in the end, they could end up with even less than what they started with. The company that the driver drove for was huge. They had the resources to have access to and hire the best attorneys. Corruption like this is not that common anymore, especially after we blew the cover on the whole Titanic fiasco, but it does still happen every once in a while, especially in the smaller towns. Anyway, all of that to say that the driver was... Well, let’s just say he was participating in extracurricular activities while he was driving, and that’s why he didn’t see the stop sign that caused him to hit Elizabeth. It wasn’t faulty brakes like they told the Hummel’s attorney.”

“Are you saying…?” Sebastian asked. “Well… I mean… What kind of activities?”

“His mistress was in the cab with him, which she shouldn’t have been, and she was giving him a very thorough blow job,” Elliot said with a grin. “And, since his wife would have left him with nothing, it was yet another thing that needed to be covered up. Had this gotten out to the public, the company would have likely lost some business.”

“Don’t people ever learn?” Josiah asked. “When you lie about things, you run the risk of losing trust and respect more so than if you would just own up to your mistakes when they happen.”

“That is something, I think, people over the years will always struggle with,” Blaine said.

“Back to Blaine’s other question,” Sebastian asked. “How did you find this oh-so-secret information out?”

Elliot grinned, his fangs peeking out of his mouth. “I might have possibly followed the man and had a little chat with him. He might have possibly wanted to tell me everything about anything I asked him about. And, he might possibly never remember meeting me if he ever gets confronted about it.” Something, and he could never figure out exactly what, had always bothered him about the way that this whole legal case had gone down. Add that to the fact that the more he heard about and got to know Kurt vicariously through the girls, he felt like he had to do something to at least see if everything had happened the way they had said it did in the court proceedings. Thankfully, he’d listened to his intuition and looked deeper.

“What now?” Blaine asked. “I’m guessing that you have a plan. You always have a plan.”

“I don’t want to expose them,” Elliot said. “I want to help them learn from this. I want them to take responsibility for what happened and help the Hummels out like they should have in the first place.”

The family was all nodding their heads in agreement. They felt that part of their purpose on this earth was to help out those who couldn’t help themselves. They wanted to take care of the people they loved, first and foremost, and part of that was taking care of the world. This, they knew, was simply the next step in that.

A few months later, out of the blue, the Hummel’s attorney called them, letting them know of the new developments in their case.

“Mr. Hummel, the defense attorney called me, and they want to settle,” the attorney told him.

“What do you mean?” Burt asked. “We dropped the case years ago since it wasn’t going anywhere.”

“Well, they, for whatever reason, want to settle it now,” the attorney told him. “They told me that something had happened, and they wanted to do the right thing. Their driver was 100 percent in the wrong, and they are going to make a public statement saying as much.”

“Wow,” Burt said. “That’s really big of them. I always have more respect for people who do that. Anything else?”

“Yes,” the attorney said with a grin. “They want to give you…”

Burt almost dropped the phone. “Dollars?” he choked out.

“Yes,” the attorney said with an even bigger grin. He really loved the Hummels, and he was happy to see that after all they’d been through--the hospital stay, the rehab, the stress of not getting the answers they had hoped for--that they were finally getting something good out of all of this.

“We could move into a house that Lizzy will be able to get around in better,” Burt mused. “We could get Kurt those clothes he’s always pining over though never says anything about because he knows that all of our extra money goes toward taking care of his mom, and there is nothing that kid wouldn’t do for her.”

The attorney could hear sniffling on the other side of the phone. And this, this right here, the gratitude of something he never thought he’d have, was causing this rough and tough man to break down in thanks.

“Burt, you’re going to be able to get your family anything they could ever dream of,” the attorney said. “And Kurt, he’ll be able to get his children and grandchildren anything they could ever want.”

“I can’t wait to tell them,” Burt said. He and the attorney talked on the phone a little longer before Burt thought of something. “What about your cut? How much do we owe you for everything?”

“That’s the best part of all of this,” the attorney said. “You don’t owe me a dime.”

“Now, wait a second here,” Burt cut in. “Nothing in life is free. You did a service, and we will be paying you for that service.”

“Poor choice of words on my part,” the attorney said. “What I should have said is that the other guys are paying me what your cut would have been. They want you to have all of the money for you to use for the things that are important to your family. Paying me. They wanted to take care of that, too.”

Burt really was speechless at this, and it took him a few moments to compose himself again. “I… I don’t know what to say, and thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Get your wife whatever it is she needs to make her life easier, better,” the attorney told him. “Get your son the little things that he doesn’t need but he wants. Do something for yourself, Burt. You are some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life, and this is one way that Karma works, isn’t it?”

“I sort of always thought Karma was for people who did bad things,” Burt laughed out loud. “It would seem I was wrong.”

The two finished up their conversation shortly after that, and Burt told his family the good news later that night.

“So now, the question is this: do we want to move into a house that’s already built, or do we want to design and build something that will fit our specific needs?” he asked them after dinner that night.

“Dad?” Kurt asked. “The last time I was at the girls’ house, I noticed that there was a plot of land not too far from them for sale. Anything we buy, we’d have to modify, I’m sure. Why don’t we just meet with an architect and get something that will fit our needs? I want us to have a home where we all can go everywhere. I hate that Mom can’t see my room. There are so many things I want to show her.”

“You are the most selfless person I’ve ever met in my life,” Lizzy said to him and beckoned him closer to her so she could kiss his cheek. She hadn’t been fully paralyzed in the wreck, though it did enough to inhibit her from doing a lot of the things she had enjoyed. She couldn’t go upstairs unless somebody carried her, and she knew that while she didn’t weigh much, it was difficult for the men in her life to continually do so. “I’d love to have some more freedom in my own home. And, if we’re designing the place, maybe we can find an architect that does homes for people like me? I’m sure they’d think of things we never would. I’d love to be able to help cook again.”

For the next couple of hours, they all looked on their respective laptops, finding examples of homes they wanted and contacting a realtor about the plot of land. The girls were ecstatic when Kurt and his family bought the plot of land near them. Their house there was out of the way enough that they could, in theory, live there for a very long time. The Hummels worked with an architect to build them their dream home, and it was built in around seven months, just in time for the family to move in and celebrate the new year.

Blaine was so happy to hear that the Hummel’s had bought the plot of land near their home and were planning to build there. He knew, too, that after they moved in, things were going to change drastically for them in some way. Kurt was turning 16 this year, and Blaine got one of those feelings, letting him know something big was going to happen, something that he could sense was going to change his life forever.


	25. Singing in the Woods

Caphriel was standing at his podium when Karma walked back into The Unknown. She wondered what he was looking at that had him grinning like a fool. As she approached him, he looked up at her with the biggest smile on his face she’d ever seen.

“What’s up with you?” she asked.

“It’s about time!” Caphriel stated excitedly.

“And, that is supposed to mean...?” Karma asked.

“They’re going to meet,” Caphriel replied, smile never leaving his face.

“They are?” Karma asked, and in that moment, she decided to stay a little while longer with Caphriel and watch. Her obligations could wait a while for this.

* * *

Strange things had been happening to Kurt since they moved into the new house. It’s not like it was haunted or anything like that. The strange things were mostly happening in his dreams. 

The first time it happened, he had been listening to the radio right before he fell asleep and didn’t really think anything of it. In his dream that night, though, he dreamt three different things. The first one was of him in a club. There were bodies all around, and he was watching someone move on the dance floor. He couldn’t see their face in the dream, but he somehow knew that they were important to him. The dream quickly moved to a group of boys in uniforms, dancing and singing together. He could see everyone so clearly, too. Everyone, that is, but the one person singing. It was like there was a censor bar over his face so he couldn’t see him. His voice, though, was one he’d never forget. It was the last dream, though, that really startled him. It was a wedding. It was _his_ wedding, and he was peaceful and happier than he’d ever remembered being. 

When Kurt woke the next morning, he was panting. _What could have brought all of that on?_ he thought. _And, why did I have so many dreams about that one song? Surely they’re tied together. Also, why couldn’t I ever see the face of who I was looking at?_ Kurt shook the feelings off and decided he would listen to music with no words before bed in the future. 

The next strange occurrence happened while he was at school. Sam was talking to Finn, Mike, and Puck about getting together a Dungeons and Dragons game when another flood of—something—happened.

“Dudes, it’s this awesome game where we can go on adventures and use magic and kill things with awesome magical weapons,” Sam explained when Finn asked what D&D was.

“So, can I… You know… With ladies in it?” Puck asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“I mean, yeah,” Sam said as he thought about it. “I don’t see why not. It’s not like you’re really going to be doing it for real. It’s all in your imagination, so yeah. Have at it.”

“What kind of characters can you play?” Mike asked.

“Well, I play a half-elf wizard,” Sam said, and those were the words that triggered whatever was happening for Kurt.

His mind flashed with pictures of wolves and mermaids and dragons, all while his hand was firmly in the grasp of someone else's with silver scales on it.

“Dude, you okay?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kurt replied. “Sounds like a cool game.”

“You wanna play?” Finn asked hopefully.

“I think… I think I might, actually,” Kurt said. He loved whimsy and fantasy and being able to be in a world that he could incorporate those things sounded amazing.

It was around the time of his birthday, though, that things really got weird.

Kurt was out walking the property after a long day of Glee Club rehearsals when he heard it. _That voice_ , he thought. _I’ve heard it time and time again in my dreams._ He set off to where he heard the voice coming from and stopped in his tracks when he found it. Sitting on a downed tree in the middle of the woods was a man. The man’s back was to Kurt, but he could see dark, curly hair and nice, though casual, clothes.

Blaine had been cooped up in the house all day long and was longing for fresh air. He was also feeling jittery today, like how he always felt when something big was going to happen. Instead of sitting inside, then, he grabbed his guitar and songbook and headed out into the woods. He had been writing and playing a song that had been on his mind when he heard someone coming near him. His instincts weren’t telling him to run or move, so he just kept playing and singing.

When the person stopped behind him, he put his guitar and book down and then stood up and turned to see who it was. There, standing about 20 feet from him, was Kurt. Blaine didn’t know what to do or say, so he just stood there and stared for a few moments, breathing in his soulmate’s scent and taking in his features from close up.

“Hi,” Blaine finally said.

“Hi,” Kurt replied. “Your voice is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Blaine said and looked down at the ground with a smile.

“Do you know the Edwards’?” Kurt asked. “As far as I knew, only their house and ours were around here.”

“Yeah. I know them,” Blaine said. “They’re my family.”

“Are you…?” Kurt began, unsure if he wanted to speak the words aloud for fear of them not being true.

“Am I?” Blaine asked.

“Are you Blaine?” Kurt rushed out. There hadn’t been a day that went by since that first day of kindergarten that he hadn’t thought of the boy he’d met. And, this man standing in front of him could be his twin but, you know, all grown up.

The smile on Blaine’s face could have lit up a pitch-black room. “I am,” he said and just looked into Kurt’s eyes. Eyes that were now filling with tears. “What’s wrong?” Blaine asked and had to restrain himself from using his speed to be beside his soulmate in a matter of milliseconds.

“I just...” Kurt said and then brought his hands to his face, sobbing.

Blaine walked closer to him at a “normal” speed and hesitated just a moment before placing his hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “You just what?” Blaine prodded.

Kurt was shaking his head and trying to get himself under control. “I’m just so happy to see you again,” he finally choked out. “I know this is abrupt and odd and possibly creepy, but would you go on a date with me?” 

Blaine’s face lit up even brighter. “I…” he stumbled, not being able to find the words.

Kurt, though, took his hesitance the wrong way. “Oh my goodness, you’re probably not even gay, are you?”

“No. Stop. I am,” Blaine said, recovering quickly. “I was just stunned that you’d want to go out with me. So, let me back up and answer properly. I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Kurt then, not understanding why, flung himself into Blaine’s arms and whispered into his chest so quietly that, had he not been a vampire, Blaine wouldn’t have heard him, “I missed you.”

Blaine knew that he wasn’t meant to hear that, so he simply hugged Kurt back.

Once Kurt let go, he dried his face off with a handkerchief in his pocket and smiled at Blaine. “I’m Kurt, just in case you didn’t remember. Kindergarten was a long time ago.”

“I didn’t forget,” Blaine said with a matching smile. “I’m sorry I just disappeared. I ended up having to go stay with my grandfather overseas for a while.”

“Don’t apologize,” Kurt said, waving it off. “Where are you going to school? When did you get back?”

“I’m doing the whole homeschooling thing, actually,” Blaine answered. “The girls really love their... Well, your school, too, I suppose... And, they’ve tried to talk me into going there. Anyway, I haven’t been back terribly long.” And in the grand scheme of things, he wasn’t lying either. Almost six years wasn’t a long time in vampire terms. 

“Is there anything keeping you doing homeschooling?” Kurt asked with a hopeful smile.

“I like that I can do things at my own pace and that I have the freedom to come out here when I’m stuck on something,” Blaine explained. “Other than that, though, not really. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, really,” Kurt said, and before he was able to say anything else, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. “Excuse me for a second,” he said and pulled his phone out, seeing it was a text from his mom who was wondering where he’d gone. Kurt responded that he’d taken a walk and would be heading home soon. “That was my mom. She didn’t say I had to, but I probably should be heading home. Can we exchange numbers so we can text and figure out when we want to go out?”

“That’s not a problem at all,” Blaine said and got his own phone out of his pocket and handed it to Kurt. “Family is very important, and from what I’ve heard, your family is pretty amazing.”

“They’re really the best,” Kurt said with a smile. “Though, I’m pretty partial to your family, too.”

“My family is amazing. I agree,” Blaine said and took his phone back from Kurt.

“I’ll text you later, then?” Kurt asked.

“I look forward to it,” Blaine said, and then, the two parted.

When Blaine got home, his family could all sense the change in him. 

“You guys met again,” Santana blurted out.

“How can you…? Really?” Blaine asked, his mind catching up with him. “It changed?”

“It’s more substantial now,” Santana said, looking at Blaine’s bond with Kurt. “It’s not the bright golden color it was, but it’s brighter than it was when you guys re-met in kindergarten.”

“We’re going on a date,” Blaine said, still smiling.

“This is what’s going to start it all over again,” Brittany said.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do or say to explain it all?” Quinn asked.

“Yes and no,” Blaine replied. “I’m not sure how it’s going to come up, so I can’t really plan it all out. I do know--or sense, I guess--that when it does, it will be okay. I’ll have the right words then, and I know in my soul that he’ll be okay. That once he figures it out, he’ll be okay with it all.”

“He will be,” Brittany said matter of factly. “I can’t wait to see my dolphins so happy again.”

The family all talked that evening, mostly about mundane things, but all enjoying each other’s company. Across the woods, another family was happy as well.

After supper, the Hummels sat in their living room, all of them watching _The Sound of Music_. When Kurt couldn’t hold it in anymore, he paused the movie and stood up in front of his parents.

“I met someone today,” he said with a huge smile on his face.

“Really?” they both responded, eager to hear about this person their son had met.

“After lunch. I went for that walk,” he said, nodding to his mom. “I was just walking, and that’s when I heard it. I heard someone singing, and something was pulling me to the voice, almost like an unseen tether or string. When I found where the voice was coming from, I… I was shocked. It was Blaine.”

“The boy from kindergarten you couldn’t stop talking about?” Burt asked with a smirk.

“The same one,” Kurt said, not letting his dad’s sass deter him at all.

“And?” Elizabeth asked.

“And, I hugged him and asked him on a date,” Kurt said.

“Wow,” Burt replied.

“I know it seems fast,” Kurt said, knowing exactly what his parents were likely thinking. “The thing is, I… I don’t even know how to explain this.”

Elizabeth gave Burt a little push and patted the couch between them. After supper each night, Burt would lift her out of her wheelchair, and they’d cuddle on the couch. She loved this ritual, and on the nights where Kurt needed both of them, this was what they did.

“Come sit and try to explain it to us if you want, sweetie,” Elizabeth told him. 

Kurt nodded and walked over to sit between his parents, the movie long forgotten. He took a deep breath and decided to just go for it.

“So, I have to start from the beginning,” Kurt said. For the next 30 minutes, Kurt talked. He rambled at times and had to take calming breaths at others, but he told his parents everything about the dreams and the feelings and how it had all come to a head that day when he saw Blaine. “What do you think it all means?”

Burt and Elizabeth looked at each other, neither one knowing what to say.

“I think that it means he’s important to you,” Burt said. “I think that it means he is meant to be in your life.”

“Fate, the universe, any diety, whatever you want to call it,” Elizabeth began, “it puts people into your life when you need them. I’m a firm believer in that. Blaine is important in your life. That we can certainly ascertain. What his role in it will be… Well, I think you need to go on that date and find out. When the time is right, you’ll figure it out.”

“What if…?” Kurt started, and Burt cut him off.

“Kurt, asking ‘what if’ questions will only lead you down a road of worries,” Burt explained. “You can look at the possibilities of how this all can go. Actually, I encourage you to do that. Don’t, though, get stuck in the negatives. There are some negative outcomes that could happen, sure. They aren’t the only ones, though. What if this all works out, and you guys get married someday? What if he’s a serial killer and preys on young boys he meets in the woods? What if…?”

“Okay, okay,” Kurt said giggling with his mom. “I get it. Look at all of the possibilities, but don’t get stuck in the negative ones.”

“Exactly,” Burt said.

“I think you missed your calling as a therapist,” Elizabeth joked.

“It’s just the way I see things,” Burt explained. 

The family spent the rest of the evening all cuddled up on the sofa, watching their movie and eating popcorn. That night before Kurt went to bed, he sent Blaine a text.

 **To Blaine:** How does Saturday night sound for our date?

 **To Kurt:** That sounds perfect.

 **To Blaine:** I was thinking dinner and then a walk? I know the cliché first date is to go to dinner and a movie, but I really want to be able to talk to you. We can’t really do that at a movie.

 **To Kurt:** I think it sounds amazing. I can’t wait.

That week at school was especially excruciating for Kurt. He wanted it to be Saturday now. He was so distracted at times that he missed what some of the people around him were saying and missed his cue on a group number in Glee Club.

“KURT!” Rachel screeched at him. 

“What?” he said, coming out of a daze as he was mentally listening to Blaine sing “ _I Choose You_ ” by Sara Bareilles. Ever since he’d had those dreams, it was his go-to distraction.

“You didn’t sing your harmonies, and it totally threw me off,” Rachel explained.

“That sounds like a _you_ problem,” Santana said. 

“Yep,” Quinn agreed. One of the downsides of her power, she had found, was that she could tell when people weren’t being genuine. And, Miss Rachel Berry was the queen of saying one thing and feeling another. She hated to be wrong and would often place the blame anywhere else but herself. Right now, for example, she had been so focused on overreaching and over-projecting to impress Finn that she had messed herself up.

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said. He hated to disappoint people.

“Just don’t let it happen again,” Rachel said. 

After Glee, the girls had cheerleading practice and since Kurt had ridden with them, he decided to go to the library. While he was in there, he decided to just browse and see where the search took him. He wasn’t terribly surprised, then, when he found himself in a dusty corner of the library.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Jan, the older librarian, asked him with a smile. 

“I’m not sure,” Kurt said honestly. “Can you recommend any books in this section?”

Jan smiled and pulled down a very old-looking book and handed it to Kurt. 

When Kurt looked down at it, the title made his eyes bulge out: _Myth or Legend: Accounts of Why the Supernatural Is Closer Than It Seems_.

“I think that might be just what you’re looking for,” Jan said and then walked away.

Kurt went and sat down in his favorite corner of the library and began reading.

“ _It’s long been forgotten that things like Fate and soulmates exist. So much of what is true has failed to have been passed down through the generations, making them mythical in our society today._ ”

Kurt stopped reading and looked at the publication date: October 1893. Written by Elliot Edwards. _Hmm_ , he thought and continued to read.

“ _It was once said that you meet your soulmate by kissing them and that once this happens, a bond stronger than anything else ever recorded would happen. This, however, has been since forgotten, as has the entire notion of soulmates in general. People continue to believe that there are compatible people out there for them, but nobody speaks of them in these terms._

 _“So many other myths have truth to them, though to speak of them will likely cause controversy. If I was worried about that, I wouldn’t be writing this book._ ”

Kurt went on to read about werewolves, fairies, magic, and vampires, statements that held that there was truth in all of them whether the general public believed it or not. Before he could get even a quarter of the way through the book, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

 **To Kurt:** We’re done with practice. Where are you?

 **To Santana:** I’m in the library. I’ll meet you at the car in a couple of minutes.

Kurt went up to the desk and checked the book out, wondering what else there was in it. He met the girls by the car, and they dropped him off at his house before going to their own.

That night after supper, Kurt went to his room to get his homework done and then read a little more in the book he had found. He was thrilled and amazed at all of the things this Elliot thought to be fact and not just myth, and he found himself wondering if any of it could be true.

His favorite chapter, though, was the one that went into depth on soulmates. Being a romantic at heart, this chapter spoke to Kurt. He loved learning about all of the different theorized ways to meet your soulmate and how there were apparently extremely rare soulmates called infinites.

“ _Infinite soulmates are specially chosen by Fate to be reborn over and over again. Nobody really knows how many lifetimes they will live or if they just keep going and going until there are no more to choose from. What is known, though, is that their love transcends time and space. Their love will be the love stories that are told in each of the lifetimes they live. Their love will be one that others around them will strive to find and what they will hope to achieve with their own relationships._ ”

“Infinites,” Kurt whispered into the room. He put the book away and got ready for bed that night.

As he dreamt, he saw flashes of himself in various settings, all with the same person beside him. The person didn’t speak, and he couldn't see his face. But he knew that it was the same person in all of them.

Blaine was beside himself with nervous energy the whole week. He wanted nothing more than to text Kurt all day long and to run over to his house to watch him. Thankfully, though, he did have a little restraint. He knew that what he was doing was right and that he needed to do this the way Kurt had planned.

When Saturday finally came, Blaine was up early and went to feed so he wouldn’t have to that night. After he’d finished, he was lost in his thoughts on his way home, thinking about what it might be like for him to feed from Kurt. Of course, he had heard his family, so he knew that it was intimate. He had asked Elliot about it one day not long after Elliot and Seb had officially mated.

_“It’s…” Elliot began, not able to find the right words so quickly. “It’s amazing. When I feed from him, I feel like I can feel everything he is feeling, and fuck does he feel things when I drink from him. It’s arousing for him.” Elliot shuddered at that and, without another word, left Blaine sitting there in the music room, going off to find his mate._

After Seb had been turned, Blaine, again, pulled his brother aside after hearing them one night.

_“So, do you still drink from him even now?” Blaine asked. It honestly wasn’t something he had thought about even being possible._

_“Um, yeah,” Elliot said, knowing that if he could blush, he would be crimson by now._

_“Really?” Blaine asked, intrigued._

_“It’s… Well, it’s sort of the same as when he was human,” Elliot began to explain. “I can still feel his emotions, his arousal, but now… Now, he can feel mine, too.”_

_“Oh,” Blaine said, longing for when he could do that with Kurt._

Blaine had to adjust himself as he walked back to his room, becoming aroused by the thought of being able, someday, if he was allowed, to feed from Kurt. When he got to his room, he was instantly thankful that nobody besides the donors were in the house, and they wouldn’t say a word. He got out his rose quartz dildo and took his time with himself, hoping that if he could climax a few times, his need would be better under control for later.

After three orgasms, Blaine laid blissed out on his bed. He’d never felt more nervous in his life than he was right then, thinking about his date that night.


End file.
